Fuck, she's cute
by Sheri1432
Summary: This is a grew up next to each other/high school AU for DirkJane. No SBURB, but similar circumstances. Gonna rate it M for future smut and maybe some triggers, which I will tag at the start of a chapter that contains them. I promise not to make it too angsty. Maybe. I could be lying. There may be some hinting to past DirkJake, maybe JaneRoxy, and (doubtful) JakeJane. I dunno.
1. Chapter 1

Dirk didn't like hanging out at his house. It was too empty. His bro was never home, and the big place was too quiet and lonely. He used to blast music, but the police had shown up too many times. So he started staying next door, with his friend Jane, on the afternoons and weekends. He loved Jane. He didn't think it was anything romantic. He had known her since he and his bro had moved in next door. Dirk was four years old, and Jane was three, at the time. She had dragged her father over to the house to meet the little boy with the spiky hair, and to invite him to her birthday party.

Dirk still remembered, vaguely, how she had bragged about icing the cupcakes herself. They were incredibly messy, but delicious. Of course, the assorted toddlers had dissolved to throwing their food around and smashing it as opposed to eating it. But Dirk had been close to Jane ever since then. He was there for her when she was happy, sad, or bored. There to hang out with, to go to the mall with, or as a shoulder to cry on. She, of course, doted on him, always feeding him when he came over, complaining that he was "as thin as a whippet" and that "a stiff breeze will carry him away". He always accepted her food. He didn't have any sort of an eating disorder. He just exercised a lot, and had a high metabolism.

Jane was a different story. Pudgy and soft at first glance, she could still pack a punch. Dirk found that out when he jokingly tried to steal a swipe of frosting from a bowl as she was making a cake. She whacked him so hard on the back of the hand with her spoon, that it bruised. She offered him ice and apologies for days, while he maintained that he had had worse. That was when they were in middle school, and both of them were still a little ungainly. Then, Dirk had sprouted up like a weed, nearly over night. Jane had filled out and grown into her curves over time, found her style, and stuck to it.

Dirk had experimented, dying his hair all colors, growing it out, shaving it off, wearing punk clothing, then excessively bright colors, then all black. One thing that had never changed was his spiked shades. Finally, he settled into just wearing jeans and a t-shirt most often, occasionally adding a hoodie if it was cold or windy. Which it was more often than not, in Washington State.

That particular day, Dirk was staying home. Jane had come down with the flu, and as much as he had tried to plead and convince her father, he had refused.

"Jane told me not to let you in, Dirk," he explained. "I think she's more concerned for your health at the moment. As soon as she's deemed not contagious, I'm sure you'll be at our doorstep again."

He wasn't wrong, but Dirk still grumbled quietly. He slouched and lazily strolled back over to his empty house. He kinda wished that his bedroom faced Jane's. Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky enough to have that cliche working to his advantage.

He just climbed out his window, swinging up onto the roof in a manner that showed careful practice. He still had a couple small scars and memories of broken bones from when he had been learning how to do that. Perch on the ledge, jump to the tree. Skip the one branch that was cracked, stick close to the trunk. Spring to the roof, watch your step on the loose tile, then shimmy up and over. Perfect.

He flopped down on the edge of the roof, his heels braced against the gutter. He had come up on his own once and braced that bit so it could hold his weight. It hadn't been hard hiding these rooftop excursions from his bro. He just played music while he did his homework in his room when his bro was home, and finally he just accepted it. Dirk picked up a tiny pebble from a stash on the roof, and with careful aim, chucked it at Jane's window. It pinged off, and she was there after just a moment. The houses were close enough together where they could hold a conversation like this. Dirk often wondered if he could slip over to her house from the roof. He might have been able to jump the distance. He never had a reason to, though, since he could just go over. He was happy to just talk to her like this, though.

"You look like shit," was the first thing he said. Jane laughed, but it quickly dissolved into a coughing fit.

"I f-" Cough. "Feel like shit."

"You missed a movie in class. And a worksheet to go with the movie." He rolled his eyes. She did the same.

"I'm glad. Those worksheets take all the fun out of the movies!" She sniffled, then stuck her tongue out. She disappeared from the window for just a moment, and there was the sound of a sneeze, followed by vigorous nose blowing. She came back to the window, a box of tissues in her hand.

"You sneeze so loud," Dirk said, a quiet chuckle slipping past his lips. "You'll wake up the neighborhood if you keep that up tonight. Jane frowned and scrunched her nose up at him. It was adorable, even if she was pale and her nose was running. She sneezed again, muffling it behind a tissue. She groaned, sitting back in her chair.

"Dirk, as much as I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, I'm exhausted..." She yawned, and that dissolved into another coughing fit. Dirk nodded sagely.

"Go get some sleep, Jane. We can't have you sick. It's lonely at the lunch table without you," he noted. Jane nodded, and gave him a tired smile before shutting her window and drawing the curtains. Dirk watched the window for a little bit, then climbed back down to his room.

The pounding beat of his favorite song in his ears didn't cover the achingly cold loneliness of the house. He hated it. Jane was sick, he was all alone, and he didn't feel like going anywhere else. He had all his homework done. His laptop was sitting open on the bed next to him, and his cell phone was on his night stand, no new messages. He sighed, turning onto his side, his pesterchum app open. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. He closed it, sighing again. Things kinda sucked when he couldn't hang out with Jane, he decided. She was so bright and peppy and alive. She always had something she wanted to do with him or their small group of friends.

After a while of moping about, Dirk got up, grabbing his skateboard and hoodie. He went outside, boarding up and down the road as a distraction. He kept going further and further until he found himself at McDonald's. He went in, got a meal, and sat alone, his skateboard propped against the table. Once he had finished, he boarded back home. All in all, he had killed about an hour and a half.

Still nobody to chat with, still no texts. He drew a little bit, still bored beyond belief, but didn't like any of it. He deleted the files, and threw away the paper drawings. Looking at the clock on his laptop, he decided it was a plausible time to get ready for bed. He took a shower, brushed his teeth, went through his normal routine on autopilot. He almost climbed out the window again, so used to going to talk to Jane before bed. Then he realized she was probably still sleeping, and shut the window. He flopped into bed, a little too warm for sheets at the moment. He just set his glasses on top of his laptop and closed his eyes.

After a dreamless sleep that seemed to last no time, his alarm was going off. He smacked the snooze button a few times, like he always did. He was not a morning person. After the third or fourth time, he finally shut it off and rolled out of bed. He went down the hall, splashing water on his face. Then, he slinked downstairs for a cup of coffee. He liked it strong and black, with maybe a spoonful of sugar. He always joked that he liked his men like that, too. Nobody laughed after the millionth time he told that joke. Jane still grinned a little, though. It may have been pity, or genuine, he couldn't tell. After two piping hot mugs of coffee, he felt a little more awake.

He went through his morning routine, putting on music again while he did. He washed his face, shaved, and checked for pimples. He was all good, and ready to go. He walked outside, and waited by Jane's mailbox, wondering if she felt good enough to come to school today. When her father came out and told him to get along to school, Dirk accepted, and walked to their school.

The day went by, Dirk still kind of on autopilot. He was too bored. He supposed it wasn't healthy, sharing too much of his life with Jane. But then again, he could barely remember not living next door to her, _not_ sharing almost all his time with her. It was like he was missing an arm.

As he was walking home from school, his phone went off. He checked. It was a text from Jane.

"I hope you got my homework for me. I'd hate to let my grades go down." He sent a text back quickly.

"You know I've got them, Crocker. I've done this every time you got sick since, what, third grade?"

"You drop that sass, mister, or I won't let you come over. Roxy texted me and said you were moping and sighing all through school."

"That is a load of shit. I was not moping nor was I sighing. You need to remember to not trust Roxy for gossip, Crockpot."

"Oh just get over here, you jerk. :B"

Dirk chuckled, strolling over to Jane's house. Her father opened the door.

"I told you that you would be over here as soon as she was feeling better," he commented.

"I never doubted you, Mr. Crocker," Dirk shot back. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, then calmly opened Jane's door. She was at her desk. She still looked a little pale, and clearly still had a stuffy nose. But the color was starting to return to her cheeks, and she was bright and chipper as she turned to him.

"Dirk! That was fast!" She got up and hugged him around his middle. He patted her head, smirking.

"I was almost home anyways. It's not like I rushed here or anything." Wow, Dirk. Tsundere much? He wanted to punch himself. He absolutely rushed. At least a little.

He pulled the homework out of his bag, handing it over to Jane. She took it and flipped through the assignments.

"That's it? Huh, light work. Okay, go ahead and get comfortable." Dirk was already in the process of stretching out languidly on her bed. The two worked quietly, music quietly playing out of Jane's speakers. Dirk smiled. It was a remix he had made for her of one of her jazzy swing songs. He still liked that one. It had a good beat, and fit together well.

After maybe an hour of work, the two had finished. Dirk rolled onto his back, resting his head on his book. He was beyond glad that it was a Friday. He stretched a little, and Jane spun her chair around, and propped her feet up on the bed.

"How about a movie?" she asked. Dirk had almost known the question was coming. They watched a movie every Friday night. It had become a tradition. Homework, movie, dinner, then maybe another movie or a video game, and then Dirk went home.

"You know it." He would bet money that he knew which movie she wanted to watch, too.

"Citizen Kane?" she asked. Nailed it. They watched it at least once a month. He was tired to hell of it, but god damn if she wasn't so cute when they watched it. Always pointing out little nuances about lighting and symbolism, or about film noir in general. He loved that. She got so passionate about it. Her face flushed, and she gestured and bounced up and down a little bit when something exciting occurred to her.

"Sure," he said with a smile. The two went downstairs to use the flatscreen. Dirk stretched out on the couch, his arms over the back. Jane put the movie in, then sat down, tucking her legs under her and hugging a pillow to her chest. She had the box of tissues balanced on the arm of the couch next to her. Dirk patted her head affectionately, and she smiled at him, hitting play. Almost immediately, the Crocker commentary started up. Pauses to blow her nose only came when there was a lull in the movie, or a tidbit she had already shared. Dirk just smiled, watching the cinematic masterpiece and listening to the girl next to him.

**Author's Notes: **

Okay, so this is my FIRST published fanfiction! Woo!

I hope people like this. I'm hoping to get chapter two up either this weekend, or in a week. We'll see how things work out. Now, I'm not GUARANTEEING smut in the next chapter. I'm not even promising it.

But there may be, who knows.

If anything, it'll be softcore and timid.

Stay tuned! :B


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**  
**_TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of self harm_**  
Okay go

Finally, it ended. Dirk felt like it was too soon, but Jane was still in full swing with an anecdote about the ending of the movie. He turned his full attention to her, watching her gesture enthusiastically, her cheeks pink and her entire being buzzing with energy. He loved when she got like that. God damn is she adorable, he thought. He hoped he hadn't said it out loud, but he seemed to have avoided that cliche too.

Her father called the two of them to dinner, which was delectable as ever. Once it was finished, Dirk helped Jane with the dishes, and then the two retired to the living room again. Mr. Crocker had gone to his study, and the faint smell of pipe smoke wafted towards them. Dirk coughed lightly. He had tried smoking cigarettes once, to be edgy. Jane had cried and smacked the shit out of him. She told him that pipe smoking was for the taste of the smoke, not to actually inhale it. He had immediately quit, simply because she put up such a fuss about it, and wouldn't let him near her until he did. It had given him headaches anyways. Even now, any kind of smoke still made him cough.

He flopped down on the couch again, and Jane held up two cases. One was a movie, one was a game. "Which one?" Dirk was feeling too lazy for video games, so he pointed to the movie. He didn't even pay attention to the title. It was probably another film noir. He didn't mind. He got to watch Jane talk about it some more. She curled up on the couch again, and after a few minutes, picked up her commentary once more.

Dirk barely watched the movie. He watched Jane. Her pretty eyes, that lit up whenever there was a particularly intriguing fact she remembered. Her neat, ink-black hair, which she combed her fingers through occasionally as she spoke, pushing it back and making the little curls, which seemed to hide in the gentle waves of hair, poke up. Her plush, pink lips, which she licked occasionally to moisten while she spoke. Was she wearing lipstick? He couldn't tell, but he had his suspicions.

Partway through the movie, she yawned, and her commentary dropped off a little. She settled into cuddling her pillow. Dirk kept watching her, as she slowly fell asleep. Once she did, he put his arm around her, scooting just a little closer. He liked when she fell asleep. She always dropped the pillow. He watched it fall to the ground. And then she would snuggle closer to him. He watched her sleepy hands seek out the pillow, and find his torso instead. He let her hug him close, her head on his shoulder. He kept his arm wrapped around her, relaxing and sighing. It was so damn cute.

Towards the end of the movie, she stirred a little, and he pretended to be asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. She would wake up, and start reprimanding him for the both of them falling asleep. He'd just grin through it, knowing that she didn't mind him "falling asleep". Because they both knew that she would snuggle him and he'd just pretend to make her feel less embarrassed about it. Neither of them had any idea when they had agreed to that, but they did, and they both liked it.

Jane yawned and stretched, and did exactly what she always did. The two of them laughed about it, and Dirk gave her a hug, which she returned wholeheartedly. Then, she did something he didn't expect.

"Dirk, do you want to spend the night over? I know your brother's out of town, and you're all alone. What do you say?" Dirk was a little surprised. He was so used to the routine. He must have hesitated too long, because Jane looked down at the couch, picking at a loose string.

"I-it's okay if you don't..." Dirk hugged her again, smiling.

"Jane, you drop those negative thoughts right now. Get them right the fuck out of your mind. Of course I would love to spend the night. Go ask your dad, while I run over to my house for some clothes." He smiled and got up, going to the front door and letting himself out. Jane cheered up immediately and bustled to her father's study. Dirk raced home, and started throwing things into his bag. As he was fighting with the zipper in his excitement, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Jane. He pulled it out, reading her text. His face fell.

"Dad says no..."

Dirk wanted to break something. He wanted to scream. He had gotten his hopes up. He knew her dad. He knew the rule. 'No boys sleeping over.' He was so pissed. Pissed at her dad. Pissed that he had gotten his hopes up. Pissed at that rule. Pissed at Jane for inviting him. Finally, he did scream.

"FUCK!" He cried out, swinging his fist. The clenched hand smashed through the drywall. He stood there for a little while, his head hanging. He felt numb after that. It must have been a few minutes, and he still hadn't replied to Jane's text. His phone started to ring. He ignored it, not bothering to move. His fist was still stuck in the wall. He noticed that it was starting to sting a little. He wondered if he might have broken something.

He pulled his hand out of the wall, after maybe the third time that Jane had called. Everything seemed like it was unbroken. He had a couple of small cuts. Easy to hide. He kept ignoring his phone, and the insistent rap music that came from the speakers as the device tried to vibrate off the table. He pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves, a throwback to his more punk phase. He washed his hand off and put some bandages on. He pulled the gloves on, and it hid the bandages well.

When he returned to his room, the hole was really obvious. He moved his posters around, keeping the look good while still hiding the blemish. He picked up his phone, which had stopped ringing. Five missed calls, two voicemails, and eight texts. Jane. Every one. He felt bad. He read the texts, and listened to the voicemails. The second one must have come much later. She was crying. It wasn't surprising. The amount of time that had passed didn't surprise him either. Around fourty five minutes. No wonder Jane was worried.

Dirk felt like shit. But he didn't want to text her back. No, he needed to apologise to her face. He opened his window, slipping through and up over the roof. His hand stung. He picked up a pebble, and pulled his arm back. He stopped and clenched it in his hand. Then, he took a couple steps back, and got a running start. The jump from his roof to hers was shorter than he thought. He landed, catlike. Then, he dangled down from the gutter by her window, by one hand.

The pebble gently pinged off her window. She was there almost immediately, opening the window. He dropped down, perching on her windowsill. She jumped back, and he slid through the window. He grinned a little, shrugging and putting his hands on his pockets. He braced himself. He knew exactly what she was going to do. And she did. She slapped him right across the face. He was braced for it, but it made his head spin. He grunted and stumbled back, catching himself on the windowsill. Jane moved closer. She didn't want to shout and let her dad know Dirk was there. She was tempted, but Dirk would never be allowed over again.

"You're an_ asshole_!" she whispered fiercely. She was angry. Not cute-angry, but right and truly pissed at him. "I know you got my first text. I heard you yell and break something. The whole _neighborhood_ heard you!" She grabbed his hands, holding them up. "And these aren't fooling me, Dirk!" She pulled the gloves off his hands, revealing the bandages. "I know you too well. I know you hurt yourself, and I knew you would try to hide it. You worried me, Dirk!" Her eyes were filled with tears, and they were streaming down her cheeks. "Do you think I _forgot_? Do you think I _don't remember_? When you wouldn't talk to anyone except **maybe** me, and you wore hoodies all the time to try and hide? Hide these?"

She turned his arms around, and he looked away. He didn't like to think about those. Jane was staring at him. He felt it. Those blue eyes looking into his soul, even when he averted his eyes. Asking, begging for an answer. He couldn't give one. Of course she remembered them. How could either of them forget the pale, thin lines that marred his wrists, overlapping and crisscrossing. From the crook of his elbow up to his wrists, the scars slashed across his skin. Hidden behind his glasses, a couple of tears slipped from his eyes, landing on the dark glass. The two stood there, Jane's hands like vises around his arms, the two of them letting silent tears slip down their faces.

Finally, Jane let him go. Dirk let his arms drop to his sides. He straightened up, adjusting his glasses. He wouldn't meet her eye. Again, he knew what she was going to do next, and didn't even brace himself. He just let it happen. She slapped him again. The same cheek, nearly the same spot. It stung, and Dirk let the force spin him and make him fall to the ground. He caught himself a little, but just let himself be on Jane's floor. She stood over him, huffing and crying. She dropped to her knees next to him, hugging him tightly.

"You're an asshole," she whispered again.

"I know," he whispered back. "I'm sorry." He put one arm around her, his face against her shoulder. His glasses got knocked off and fell to the floor, and he just pressed closer, letting out a shaky breath. When he inhaled again, he just smelled Jane. The warm smell of chocolate cake that always hung about her, mixed with the flowery smell of her shampoo. He loved that smell. He loved that girl.

"I'm sorry."

After what seemed too little time, she pulled back. He looked up at her, feeling vulnerable without his glasses on. His golden-orange eyes looked up into her bright blue ones. He had always joked that they had portal eyes.

Looking up at her, something came over him. He had no idea what it was, but his body moved on its own. His hand went to the back of her head, and he pulled her in, his lips pressing firmly to hers. Jane's eyes, which were already wide, look alarmed. She pulled back, and Dirk let her go. He wouldn't force himself on her. She kind of stayed there. Just on her knees in front of him. Finally, there was a reaction.

"WHAT?" she shrieked, shoving him away. Dirk fell onto his back, sighing. It wasn't a happy or sad sigh. Just a sigh. Jane was on her feet, looking down at him. Footsteps were coming up the stairs. Jane didn't move, and neither did Dirk. He deserved this. Jane's door slammed open, and Mr. Crocker saw Dirk there on the ground, and Jane standing over him, her eyes red and filled with tears.

Without even waiting for an explanation, Jane's dad grabbed Dirk, one hand tight around his arm and the other gripping his collar. Dirk was roughly dragged/shoved down to the front door, and hurled out to the lawn.

"YOU STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE, STRIDER. AND YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER. DON'T YOU TALK TO HER, DON'T YOU TOUCH HER, DON'T GO NEAR HER, OR I'LL CALL THE POLICE," the older man shouted at Dirk. Dirk sat up, looking past Mr. Crocker. He saw Jane, approaching her dad from behind. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to her, shutting the door.

"Daddy, don't be-" was all Dirk heard, before the door shut out the noise. He sat on the lawn for a minute in the dim light cast by the street lamp. Then, he got to his feet, making his way home. He slunk through the front door, feeling like there was a cloud over his head. He realized that he didn't have his glasses. They were in Jane's room still. So were his gloves. He didn't care.

**Author's Notes: **

Ahahahahahahahhahaha *launches self off cliff*

Welp, no smut, yet. Trust me, I have it stashed in my back pocket.

Things are gonna be sad for a little bit. But it will be worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:  
_TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of self harm, thoughts of self_** **harm  
**Ok go

He had fucked up. He had fucked up so bad. He went into his room, shutting the door and leaning on it. Sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, Dirk looked down at his hands. He brought one hand to his mouth, touching his lips gently. Jane had been wearing lipstick. Was it for him? Or just because she could? She did that sometimes.

Dirk sighed, curling up on his floor. Silence wrapped around him, deafening. He wanted to punch the wall some more. He wanted to punch himself. He just wanted to hit _something_. Hit it until his hands bled and his bones broke, so he could focus on that instead of the fear and shock he had seen in Jane's eyes. He slumped to the side, curling up there on the ground. He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up when dim morning light, filtered through clouds, shone in his open window.

Dirk sighed, getting up. Saturday. He would have gone over to Jane's for lunch or brunch or whatever, and then the two would have gone out with their other friends, Roxy and Jake. Dirk and Jake had dated for a little while, but Jake wasn't... Dating material. They had stayed friends, though.

Dirk just laid out on his bed, letting the sun stream down onto him. He wasn't allowed near Jane, and doubted that he was "fun" enough to hang out with. Not without Jane there too. He needed to stop thinking about her. He got up, walking around the house and trying to find something to do. Movies and games bored him. He wasn't hungry. Even going online didn't entertain him for long. He even tried finding some porn to see if he could get in the mood, but nothing was appealing.

He ended up in the bathroom, grooming himself. He took a shower, changed his clothes, and styled his hair, just out of habit. Then, he went to shave, a little bit of stubble starting to grow back. Once he finished, though, he didn't put the razor away. He looked down at it. The shining blades. The sharp edges.

How easy it would be to pull the blades out. He knew how. How good would it feel to have the familiar, cold metal against his skin. That was even easier. How amazing would he feel once that blade bit into his skin, drawing warm blood out and sending a rush to his brain. Letting that numb feeling be replaced by thin lines of pain. Something to focus on.

He hadn't even noticed, but he had already gotten the blades out of the razor, the mangled plastic clattering to the sink. He looked down at the blade in his hand, the tiny, insignificant little piece of metal. He stared at it, his heart pounding in his ears. Could he really do it again?

Well of course he _could_, but would he? Would he be able to bear the guilt of relapsing? The looks from his brother and from his friends, on the day he wore a hoodie even though the weather didn't prompt it? Would he be able to make eye contact with Jane, who would know immediately, whether it was obvious or not, as soon as she laid eyes on him again?

With a sigh, Dirk let the razor blade fall into the trash. He went downstairs, getting an ice cube from the freezer. He held it to the inside of his wrist, the cold burn of the ice satisfying the urge. He sighed again, leaning his arm against the freezer door, and resting his head on his arm. He heard a small voice behind him.

"Dirk... I'm glad you didn't do it."

Dirk's head snapped up. Jane. He spun around, seeing her sitting at his kitchen table. Had she been there when he walked in? He hadn't even noticed. He wanted to cry. She must have known from the look on his face, because she slid his shades across the table to him. He tossed the ice cube in the sink, and picked up his shades, sliding them onto his face.

"Thanks..." he mumbled. He couldn't meet her eyes. He knew she could tell. She could always tell.

"Jane, I-" He took a step forward, but stopped when she held up her hand.

"I don't need your apologies. It wasn't your fault. We were both really emotional." She smiled a little at him, and then looked down at the table, blushing.

"J-just... Don't sneak over to my house any more. Dad says you can still come over sometimes," she told him. Dirk brightened up, even smiling a little. Jane was the best.

"Jane, you rock." He went over and hugged her, ruffling her hair affectionately. She hooted with laughter, pushing him away.

"Cut it out, you goofball!" she giggled, mussing up his hair. That got him to stop, and take a moment to rearrange the meticulously gelled spikes. Jane watched him, smiling and scrunching her nose up at him. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she punched him in the arm.

"Come on, eat something. We're going to the mall with Roxy. Jake's home sick now so it'll just be us three." Dirk nodded, making a quick slice of toast for himself. After he had eaten some, and slid his shoes on, the two were out the door. They walked to the mall, of course, since none of them had a car. Dirk liked walking with Jane. He wanted to take her hand, but after she freaked out from the kiss, he resisted.

It took maybe fifteen minutes to walk to the mall, and Dirk was glad to get into the A/C. The sun was shining that day, and it was unseasonably warm. Roxy came up to them, waving and shouting.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, guys," she chirped, squeezing her slim body in between Dirk and Jane to put an arm around either of them. Dirk had to slouch a little, pulled down by the insistent Roxy. He smirked, pulling up after a moment. There was no way he was walking like that. He put an arm softly around Roxy's shoulder, and she moved her arm down a bit. Much better. The three walked like that, clearly the best of friends. They only parted when they wanted to go to different stores. Luckily, they were right across from each other.

Roxy dragged Jane into Victoria's Secret, and Dirk strolled across to the comic book store. He browsed through the manga, but there was nothing new. He picked up a new Gurren Lagann model kit. He had been looking for that one. He bought it, and waited outside the shop.

He saw Jane inside VS, her arms full of lingerie that Roxy kept handing to her. Jane's face kept getting redder and redder. She protested, though Dirk couldn't hear. Roxy just pushed Jane towards the back of the store, towards the fitting rooms. Dirk realized that some or all of those were for Jane to wear. He had clearly seen a few, and they had been beautiful.

Dirk's face turned red, and he shivered. Fuck. He was in public, and pretty sure he was going to get an erection. Double fuck. He dashed to the nearest bathroom, and splashed cold water on his face. It wasn't very cold, but it cleared his head. He looked at himself in the mirror, his hands braced on the sides of the sink.

Get ahold of yourself, Dirk, he told himself. Jane doesn't want to date you. You scared her when you kissed her, and god damn if you're going to let her see you get aroused from the thought of her in sexy lingerie. You've seen her in a bathing suit, and you were fine.

God damn did those mental images look good though. He scrubbed more water into his face, before drying off and putting his shades back on. He calmly sauntered out of the bathroom. Jane and Roxy were waiting for him on a bench. Jane had a VS bag sitting next to her, and her face was in her hands. As Dirk approached, he heard their conversation.

"But I don't need to look sexy for anyone, Rox," Jane complained.

"Janey, you need to think towards the future," was Roxy's rebuttal. "You're gonna find Mr. Just Right, and then you'll thank me for when the two of you get..." Roxy leaned close to Jane, whispering in her ear. "Freaky..."

What Dirk could see of Jane's face behind her hands went from pink to bright red. He smirked, and sat down next to her.

"Yeah, Janey, I'll tell you. As a guy, I'm partial to lingerie, in the right situations."

Jane yelped, grabbing her bag and clutching it close.

"Dirk! I didn't hear you coming!" she squeaked. Dirk chuckled, patting her head. He wanted her to let the whole fiasco with the kiss blow over. She did relax a little, letting the bag rest on her lap.

"Oh, sorry." She smiled a bit at him, then looked around. "Okay, where to next?"

Roxy sprung to her feet, grabbing Jane by the arm.

"This way!" she announced, marching off. Dirk followed, rolling his eyes fondly. Roxy led them to the petstore, where she petted and gushed over how cute the kittens were. Then, she grabbed some toys for her cat at home. That managed to kill a whole hour. Jane walked with the two blondes to the food court, where they all got some pizza. Dirk gulped his down quickly, and got a second slice. Jane and Roxy nibbled at theirs, since it wasn't all that great. Dirk was just really hungry.

Once all that was done, they left the mall, heading home. Dirk went home with Jane, since he was allowed to hang out again. Her father was still a little leery of Dirk, and didn't allow the two to be alone for the first hour. Dirk understood, but wasn't going to try anything. Dirk and Jane played some games for a while, and Dirk stayed for dinner, like he normally did. After another hour or so of playing games, Dirk figured he should get home. He gave Jane a hug, and grabbed his bag from by the door.

As he did, he saw the VS bag, which Jane had left there. He saw inside. Everything was sheer and nicely colored and trimmed with lace. The mental images that had been pushed down came back. They were more vivid now that Dirk had gotten a good look.

Triple fuck.

**Author's Notes:  
**Hooray for forgiving people!  
Also. That ending? Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit of a hint as to what chapter four will be like.  
;B  
I'm on a bit of a writing spree, so expect pretty frequent updates for a little bit! Because I love you all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:**

This is it, guys. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSMUT CHAPTER!  
Nothing much. Just Dirk getting a little intimate with himself.  
Also I'm sorry it's been so long. I had some stuff going on. You can just. Kick me in the plush rump if I'm not diligent with updating.  
Also I love your favorites and follows. You know who you are, and you are wonderful. 3

Dirk left quickly, before Jane could say something or he could make a fool of himself. He was already hard. He considered himself to have some pretty good self-control, but these feelings were totally new and a little unfamiliar and he just _needed_ some relief. He dropped his bag on his computer chair as soon as he was in his room. Carelessly tossing his glasses aside, he pulled his shirt off. Then, he laid back on his bed in just his jeans. As he kicked his pants off, his hand groped around in the drawer on his nightstand. After a moment, his fingers closed around a good sized tube. Bingo.

He pulled it out, his other hand reaching into his boxers. He stroked himself, letting out a shaky sigh. He slid his boxers down and kicked them off too. He took a moment to open the lubricant, squirting a dollop into his hand. It was cold. He tossed the tube aside and took a moment to let his hand warm it up. He still stroked himself idly with his other hand.

Once he was too impatient to let it warm up any further, he wrapped his lubed hand around his cock. He gasped. It was plenty warm, and felt wonderful. He squeezed lightly, moving his hand up and down his shaft with long, slow movements. A gasp slipped past his lips. It felt sublime.

Dirk settled back a little more, his eyes closing. He continued to slowly stroke himself, from base to tip. When he reached the head, he rubbed his palm over the top, the stimulation on the sensitive area making him moan. He started to fantasize. About Jane.

Jane kissing him. Jane straddling him while wearing nothing but those lingerie she had bought. Oh god. He let another gasp slip out, and he increased the pace that his hand was moving at, sliding it up and down his member. He would squeeze occasionally, just a little, and moan.

More fantasies flowed through his mind. Jane grinding against him. Jane wrapping her hand around his cock, stroking with those gentle, soft hands. Jane taking him into her mouth. Jane sucking on him as he petted her hair. Coming in Jane's mouth. Jane. Jane. Jane.

"Fuck! Jane!" he cried aloud, his back arching as he came, painting ropes of cum across his abs. He moaned, slowly settling back against the bed, his hand dropping to his side and his whole body relaxing. His mind was pleasantly hazy, his cock going soft after a spectacular orgasm. He moaned lightly, letting his head hit the pillow. He heard his phone go off. After a minute, he retrieved it from his jeans, using his clean hand to check the text.

"Are you okay, Dirk?" the text read, from Jane. He texted back lazily.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because I thought I heard you calling my name. I got a little worried, because the last time I heard you scream, you punched your wall and hurt yourself." Dirk blushed, both because she had heard him and because he was still ashamed of what he had done the night before.

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll be on the roof in a minute."

"Okay! :B"

Dirk smiled, dropping his phone. He had to clean up. He figured that Jane could wait, and took a quick shower. He didn't bother to gel his hair again, since it was late, and just threw on the same jeans and tshirt he had been wearing. He climbed onto the roof, his blonde hair flopping in front of his face. He pushed it back, and chucked a pebble at Jane's window. She opened it and smiled at him.

"What took you so long?"

"I wanted to shower a bit. It was hot today."

"Oh." Jane smiled at him. "You look good with your hair down. I haven't seen it like that since you grew it out."

Dirk shrugged. "Didn't feel the need to style it. It's late and I'm not going anywhere."

Jane smiled at him. He saw her eyes light up as she got an idea.

"Ooh, you want to sneak over again? If you don't try anything crazy like last time, we can watch a movie without my dad knowing."

"I love it." He immediately stood, jumping over to her roof. It really was easy. Jane had stepped back from the window, and he swung through, having to tuck into a roll when he hit the floor. He straightened up and dusted himself off, then put his hands in his pockets, slouching a little and grinning. Jane was sitting on her bed already, her laptop on her lap. She sat back after a moment, a movie pulled up on screen.

"Come on, then, Dirk," she told him, patting the space next to her. He obliged, sprawling on the bed next to her.

"What are we watching?"

"Your brother's new movie. I just got it."

Dirk had, of course, seen bits of the movie while it was still in production. He hadn't seen all of it, though, so he was more than willing to see Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff 6: hopy shit where on the moon.

He settled in, putting his arm around Jane. She relaxed against him, and they were stifling laughter at the movie within minutes. The ending was unexpected, but hilarious, and the two were nearly crying with laughter, leaning on each other in helpless mirth.

Dirk calmed down first, letting Jane lean against him as she giggled uncontrollably. He watched her. It was so adorable. He wanted to kiss her again, but he had promised no shenanigans. He just let her laugh it out, holding him. This felt right enough, he decided. He was with Jane.

Once she had finally taken a deep breath and gotten the last giggle out of her system, she sighed, hugging Dirk lightly.

"This was fun, Dirk. I'm glad things aren't awkward between us." She closed her eyes, smiling softly. Oh, if she had any idea how awkward it was for Dirk. He was developing a serious crush on her. It was wonderful, and it sucked at the same time. He loved being her friend, though, and didn't want to ruin that by trying to propose a relationship.

He just patted her head, smiling some more. Her hair was soft, and he could smell her shampoo from here. Fuck, that was going to feed into his fantasies, wasn't it? He put it aside, stretching.

"I should get home before your dad suspects anything," he mumbled. Jane shrugged, not letting go of him.

"This is nice, though. Stay a little longer?" Dirk had no choice but to oblige. There was no way he was leaving now, until she kicked him out again. He settled back, his arm around Jane's shoulders again.

"Of course, Jane," he told her. Her head was on his shoulder, her eyes were still closed. After a minute, she was asleep. Dirk set her laptop on her nightstand, and pulled off her glasses, setting them on top. He was going to leave in just a minute.

He didn't want to disturb her, though.

10:00 PM. Just one more minute.

10:01. Maybe five.

10:05. Maybe ten.

**Author's Notes:**

Ayy, it ended cute!

I should _probably_ mention that if anyone has an idea for plot bunnies, I'd love to hear them. Maybe I can work them in, in future chapters. I really don't have a lot of ideas past a chapter or two. I want this thing to run for a while.

Also, tell your friends about this fic. Watching that view counter climb brings me some serious happiness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:**

Ayy, this is a short chapter. But hey, its really good, in my opinion.  
*shrug*  
Enjoy~

Next thing Dirk knew, it was morning, and Jane was drooling ever so slightly on his shirt. The two hadn't moved all night, except for Jane hugging him closer. He was amazed they hadn't been caught. He also realized that it was the best night's sleep he had ever gotten. He smiled, still sleepy, and petted Jane's hair. Now this...

This was nice.

There was no way it was going to last. He looked at the clock. Almost noon. Jane never slept this late. Her father would probably check on her soon. Dirk slowly got up, succesfully avoiding disturbing Jane. He crept over to the window, and saw a note stuck to it. Shit. Shit shit shit. He pulled the paper off the glass, and read it.

"Come downstairs, Mr. Strider," it read.

Well fuck if that wasn't ominous and slightly threatening. Dirk supposed he had no choice, though. He left Jane's room quietly so he wouldn't disturb her, and walked down the stairs. There was pipe smoke coming from the study. It was a little early for that, wasn't it? Maybe it was just for effect. Dirk coughed a little, going into the study. He put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor. Mr. Crocker didn't look up from his laptop for a moment, until Dirk coughed again.

"Sit down, Dirk," Mr. Crocker said, in a way that made the phrase nothing short of an order. Dirk fell into a seat, still looking at the ground, though he wasn't guilty of anything. Jane's father typed for another moment, then shut the laptop, turning in his chair to look at Dirk.

Dirk fidgeted under the intense gaze. Mr. Crocker just stared for a few moments, and Dirk felt more and more guilty. He hadn't done anything, but he felt like he did. Finally, Mr. Crocker spoke.

"What are your intentions with my Jane?"he questioned. Dirk physically relaxed. He was expecting this to be an interrogation.

"N-nothing she doesn't want, sir," Dirk answered quietly. "I learned that already, the other day. I won't do it again, unless she was interested." Dirk looked up at Mr. Crocker, finally making eye contact.

"I adore and respect your daughter, more than anything. If she wants to stay friends, I won't chase her. I want to stay friends, if we can't be anything more than that." Passion was starting to enter his voice. "I don't want to lose Jane. I don't want to ruin what we do have."

Jane's father considered this, and nodded in approval. "Very well. I trust you, son. I'm proud you made the right choice." Dirk smiled a little, appreciating the praise. Then, he noticed that Mr. Crocker was looking behind him a little, and turned. Of fucking course.

Jane was standing in the doorway, smiling a little. Dirk didn't even have to ask. She had heard it all. He looked from Jane, to her father, then back to Jane. They both started grinning, and Dirk put his face in his hands. They had planned this. They'd probably been planning this since Dirk had kissed Jane. Dirk looked at the ground, biting his lip and blushing.

"Well, I've definitely been played the fool, huh?" he muttered, embarrassed. Jane hooted with laughter, going over and hugging Dirk. She kissed his cheek, and his face burned.

"Hoo hoo hoo! Oh, Dirk, you were so oblivious to our plan! But now that I know how you feel, I'd love to go out with you, Dirk. To be a couple." Jane beamed with happiness, and Dirk felt like his heart had stopped. He got up, putting his arms around Jane. He picked her up and spun her around, making her hoot with laughter again. When he set her down, she wobbled and gripped him, smiling.

Dirk coughed again, though, and Jane pulled him out of the study, waving happily to her father, who smiled and waved back. Once the smoke was out of Dirk's lungs, he really relaxed, and hugged Jane again.

"You are, without a doubt, the best prankster ever," he told her, grinning. The two just stood there for a few moments, grinning at each other. Then, Dirk kissed her forehead, and she hugged him again. Dirk sighed happily. Nothing could possibly feel more right than this. Nothing in the world.

**Author's Notes:  
**Hey, I know I haven't been updating frequently. I'm really gonna try. And honestly, I'd love to hear from you guys!  
It would make me happy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:  
**Ahahahahaahahahahahahha I'm trash. Here's one of the four chapter's I'll be uploading  
today to try and appease the fanfiction gods.  
You all are awesome for reading. 3

Being in a relationship was the best thing ever, Dirk thought. He was inseperable from Jane. He had practically moved into her room. After his rather passionate admission of his love and respect for Jane, Mr. Crocker had decided to trust him, and to ease the 'no boys overnight' rule.

Dirk supposed that that was like Mr. C accepting him as a son-in-law already. When he had noted the observation to Jane, she had punched him lightly in the arm, giggling.

"Don't go getting any ideas too soon, Strider. You know me," she said. He finished the thought.

"College and a job first. I know, I know." He put his arm around her, pulling her to his chest and messing up her hair with his hand. She protested, pulling away and laughing.

Really, not much had changed between them. They did all of the same things, with the exceptions of more nights over and the occasional, soft kiss.

Oh, how Dirk treasured every one of those kisses. They were few and far between, since Jane was shy about public displays of affection, and Dirk was respectful enough to not do anything in front of her father that he might object to. But their first consensual one was the best.

It was just another night, really. A movie, some popcorn, sodas, and snuggling in a blanket. It was a little mushy and couple-y, but they did basically the same thing anyways. They were watching some new, popular, sappy as all hell Rom Com. There was a pretty romantic moment, and Jane had sighed, watching it wistfully and resting her head on his shoulder.

He had looked down at her, and smiled. He gently put his hand on her soft cheek, tilting her face up just a little. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers. He let it last for just a moment, then moved to pull away.

Jane, however, had had other plans. Grabbing him with both hands, she kissed him back, throwing herself into the kiss. Dirk had mentally reeled, and was sure he would have physically if Jane wasn't holding him. When she pulled away, he flopped back onto the couch. His glasses were askew, and he was sure he looked dazed, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open as he panted slightly.

"Holy fuck, J-Jane..." He blinked rapidly, feeling his cheeks heat up. Jane looked at him and winked, scrunching up her nose again and flicking a piece of popcorn at him. It bounced off his glasses, and he caught it in his mouth, sitting up and becoming 'cool' once again.

But after that, Jane knew exactly how he worked. Well... Almost. She was still a little too timid to breach the subject of anything past kissing. He didn't mind at all. He was infatuated and beyond happy. Everything seemed to improve about him after he started going out with Jane. Seeing her made him break his 'character' and smile, even in public or at school. He was getting better grades, participating more in class. Life was so good.

Then, very unexpectedly, Jane didn't come out to meet him by the mailbox one morning. Mr. Crocker came out and told Dirk to get along to school. He was bewildered, but obeyed. Jane would have told him if something was wrong.

Right?

Dirk was nervous the whole day, texting Jane over and over, and even calling her during lunch. She didn't answer, except for one text in the afternoon.

"I'm fine, but I want to be alone."

Just a simple eight words, but it felt like eight daggers, all centered over his heart. Jane told him everything. He was where she turned when she was sad. Had he done something? He didn't think he did. God, he hoped he didn't.

After school, he rushed home, pounding on her door. Her dad wasn't home. Probably out getting groceries or something.

"Jane!" He hollered, slamming his fist against the door until it ached. Nothing. He didn't have a spare key, either. He went home, barely taking time to drop his bag before he was out the window and over the roof. It was starting to drizzle and rain, but he didn't care. He tossed pebble after pebble at her window until he thought he would break the glass, but she didn't respond.

He wanted to cry. Right there on the roof. He jumped over, hanging from the gutter to rap his knuckles against her window.

"Jane... Please. I'm gonna slip..." His hand was actually slipping. He would be fine for a little while, though. Finally, the curtains were pulled back and she opened the window. He hopped into her room, his hair and clothes dripping water on her carpet. He hugged her, holding her against his chest and letting his cheek rest against her hair. It took a minute, but he realized that she was crying, holding him.

"Jane... Babe," he mumbled to her, hating to see her cry. "What's wrong?"

Jane pulled him over to her bed, sniffling and hiccuping a little. He sat down with his back against the wall, and pulled her onto his lap, holding her against his chest.

"Come on, Jane, talk to me," he whispered, stroking her hair. She just nodded, and grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose to clear it before she started speaking.

"I... I should have told you sooner..." She paused, and Dirk just held her, waiting for her to continue. "Th-there's... There's a couple guys at school... They've been t-teasing me for a while. In gym class."

Dirk was scowling. Gym was one of the few classes they didn't have together, and Jane already hated the class. She was still insecure and self-conscious. She continued talking.

"Th-they never did anything t-t-to me... Until y-yesterday. The guys and girls were on opposite sides of the court, pl-laying basketball. I w-was, of course, a little behind everyone else as they ran. Well..." She let out a little sob, and Dirk cradled her in his arms, letting her finish. He was tense, though. How _dare _anybody even think about making his Jane sad. Jane started speaking again, and he gave her his unerring attention, though in the back of his mind, he was already willing to hunt down these punks and make them pay.

"Th-the teachers stopped looking... And one of them threw a basketball at me... I d- I don't think it was intended to hit me whe-where it did, but... It hit the back of my head. The teachers didn't see, and I was still on my feet, e-even if it made me see s-s-stars, so I couldn't prove anything, and then later they tripped me up."

Dirk was seeing red. How **dare they**. How _**dare they**_ think that they could get away with this. Jane whimpered a little.

"D-Dirk, you're hurting me."

He blinked and let go immediately. He had been gripping her pretty tightly in his anger. He gently wrapped his arms around Jane, kissing her cheek softly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." His voice was tender, and she forgave him. He turned her, though, so she would look right at him.

"Jane, now this is serious. Who are they? Do you know their names? What they look like?"

She nodded, looking down at her hands.

"They're both on the football team... I don't r-really know their names, but one's blonde and has really blue eyes... M-Micheal or something like that... And the other one is a smaller redhead, who always frowns at everyone. I- uh... Luke, I think, is his name."

Dirk scowled, clenching his hands into fists. He knew them. Notorious bullies among the students, they had never been caught in the act by any of the staff. They had been trying to pick on Dirk a while back, but he was just too chill about everything. So, he supposed, they had targeted Jane.

He was ready to freaking kill those assholes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:  
**Ahahahahaha I'm still trash. cries  
But yeah, _**tw: for violence**_ on this one, my lovelies.

Dirk had convinced Jane to go back to school. It wasn't easy, but with the help of her father, he had gotten her to agree. As they walked to school together, Dirk was quiet. He didn't want to give away to Jane what he was planning to do.

He had two notes in his backpack. One for Michael. One for Luke. Those were going in their lockers. It was an offer the two of them wouldn't refuse.

"Meet me in the alley between the McD's and the apartment complex by the school. 3 PM. You want to get to me, well you got me. And we're settling this today. -Strider"

Jane would try to stop him. Insist that she didn't need protecting, and that he could get expelled. So he did his best to act normal, which wasn't hard, since he was still tired and just had to nod and yawn occasionally on the walk. Jane just chattered away, her mood significantly improved.

He went through the day pretty normally. He told Jane during lunch that he was going to drop off a job application at the McDonald's near the school, and that he wanted a job for a little extra cash flow. Which wasn't a complete lie. He slipped the notes into the bullies' lockers during passing, and finished up the day normally. Jane headed home after giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't be too long," she told him. He smiled and nodded, sorry that he was lying to her. But he had to do this for her. He didn't want her hurt anymore. He headed to the McD's, a scowl on his face. He went to the alleyway next to it, dropping his backpack. It would just get in the way. He leaned against the wall, waiting.

Just past three, he heard footsteps. Two pairs. Big. He turned his head to face the noise, glaring. The two boys entered the alley, smirking. Luke was holding a baseball bat, while Michael had nothing but his fists. He didn't need anything else, really. Neither did Dirk, even if Michael was a foot taller and outweighed him by about a hundred pounds. They stared each other down for a moment, and then Michael made the first move.

He charged, lumbering forward to grab at Dirk with his meaty hands. Dirk sidestepped him gracefully, driving a punch into the side of his head. Michael grunted, slowing to a stop, his hand on his head. Dirk then felt a lot of pain, and he was on the ground. Luke had used the baseball bat to take out his legs while Dirk had his back turned. Michael approached him, grabbing Dirk's arms and lifting him. The large football player held Dirk out, while Luke sneered.

"You got a lucky shot, Strider." He dropped the baseball bat, opting to use his fists. He punched Dirk in the stomach, making him curl up and gasp for air, even while he glared at the redhead. Luke punched him in the mouth, and Dirk felt blood on his tongue. He let it pool, and then spit in Luke's face.

That only served to piss him off, and he started to viciously beat Dirk up, punching him. Finally, Michael dropped him, and they both started to kick him. Dirk knew this was a mistake, as he felt himself getting bruised and bloody. Finally, the bullies fist bumped, and turned, walking down the alley. Dirk staggered to his feet, picking up the baseball bat that Luke had abandoned and forgot about. He still had some fight in him, and now he had a weapon. He stepped forward, bringing the bat down across Luke's back.

Luke grunted, staggering. Dirk, now furious, kept hammering away at him, until Michael turned and swung a fist. He ducked, and swung the bat at Michael. It hit the larger teen in the elbow, and he shouted in pain, backing away and clutching his arm. Dirk went back to his vicious treatment of Luke, snarling. Finally, the boy was passed out on the ground, and Michael was pulling out his cell phone. Dirk glared, throwing the bat down at Michael's feet. He spit some blood onto the floor.

"See you at school, asshole."

He staggered home, fatigue and pain hitting him. His head was pounding and he leaned against the door to Jane's house. He knocked weakly. He wondered how badly hurt he was. Probably pretty bad, since falling asleep right here sounded really good at the moment. The door opened, and he couldn't even catch himself. He just fell into Jane's house, hitting the pleasantly soft carpet.

There was a distant scream, and Jane was there. Why was it so dark? Her voice came to him like she was underwater.

"Dirk? Dirk! Oh my god what did you DO?"

She was crying, but he just smiled, reaching a hand up to brush the tears away. Why was his hand so bloody? His head was foggy, and he just focused on Jane's face.

"Bullies won't... Hurt you any more, Janey..."

And then he passed out.

**Author's Notes:  
**Uh. Yeah. uwu


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:  
****_TW: Hospitals?_ idk  
**He's fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

Dirk woke up to white lights and unfamiliar faces. His head pounded, and he groaned. The blurred voices around him rose in volume. He groaned again.

After a few moments, he felt a pleasant dullness take over. He relaxed against what felt like a narrow bed. He slowly opened his eyes, looking around. He was in a hospital room, a couple nurses and one doctor around him. There was a policeman standing outside, talking to someone he couldn't see.

The doctor explained what had happened. He had passed out at Jane's house, having lost a surprising amount of blood. He had bruised ribs and a broken ankle, a little bit of internal bleeding, a few lacerations on his face, and some chipped teeth. Luckily, Jane and her father had rushed him to the hospital, and he was going to be fine. Dirk nodded slowly, silently thanking whatever god there may or may not be for painkillers.

The doctor and nurses left, and the cop walked in with Jane. Dirk smiled at Jane, but she looked furious and upset. She had absolutely been crying, too.

"You... You complete ass!" She reprimanded him. "Why would you do this?! If you weren't hurt I would punch you, you jerk!"

Dirk just smiled.

"Raincheck," he mumbled, his jaw aching. Jane laughed and cried, tears running down her face. She hugged him, kissing his cheek. Dirk looked at the police officer.

"What can I do for you, officer?"

The man sighed, pulling out a notepad.

"There's two boys here who were also admitted, around the same time. One was beaten half to death, and the other had a shattered elbow. The conscious one, uhh... Michael, said that it was you who did it to them. Care to explain yourself, son?"

Dirk nodded, then winced and groaned. Jane sat in a chair next to his bed, holding his hand.

"Th-they hurt Jane, here... Teased her, threw a basketball at her head, tripped her. They're notorious bullies at our school, and needed to be taught a lesson anyways. They just happened to cross the wrong line." Dirk gripped Jane's hand, smiling at her tiredly. She half-smiled back, and then he turned to the officer again.

"Yes, I beat them up. I was planning on it, though not as viciously as I did. But they were the ones who brought the bat. One held me while the other hit, and then I managed to get away and fight back. I will freely admit that I went overboard, but it was purely reflex and adrenaline."

The officer wrote all of this down, and nodded.

"We're going to see if they want to press charges, Mr. Strider. If they do, you could be expelled and go to juvenile detention. If not, well, that's up to the school district. Have a nice day, you two."

The officer left Dirk and Jane alone. Dirk looked over at her, and she was crying again.

"You complete ass," she told him.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he said with a pained chuckle. He was a little loopy from the painkillers. Jane laughed a little, and leaned up, giving him a gentle kiss. He returned it, sighing.

"Mm, best medicine ever..." he mumbled. She smiled at him, stroking his cheek.

"Get some rest, you idiot. I'll be back tomorrow." He nodded, and she turned to walk out. When she reached the door, he said something that made her stop.

"I love you, Jane..." She lowered her head a little, and when she turned back, she had a soft smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"I love you, too, Dirk. I'll see you tomorrow."

He sighed, resting back against the fluffy pillows and falling into a drugged sleep. It was the first time he had told Jane that he loved her, and everything, once again, felt perfect.

**Author's Notes:  
**Told ya. When have I ever steered you wrong?  
Fluffy stuff next chapter (which you can probably just read immediately) and a SURPRISE for both you and DIRK?  
READ ON, my dearies 3


	9. Chapter 9

Neither Luke nor Michael wanted to file a lawsuit, so Dirk got off with a week's worth of suspension. He didn't mind, since once he was out of the hospital, he still felt like staying in bed. Mr. Crocker was kind enough to let Dirk stay over at the Crocker household, so he could make sure he ate and took his medicine. Dirk was content. It was easier to see Jane after school, and he kept up with his homework from the Crocker's couch. He slept a lot, and felt like he probably gained five pounds from all the feeding and idleness.

He was kind of glad when the weekend came. His bro had stopped by a few times during the week, congratulated Dirk on his new relationship, and gave his permission for Dirk to stay with the Crockers as long as they would keep him. Then he had to go off again, to film another movie. Dirk didn't mind. His bro was home so little that it almost felt like he wasn't there.

Dirk was just glad when the weekend came. Jane was home all day, which meant more time with her. They just lazed about, mostly, until Sunday, around noon. Jane had decided that Dirk was too idle, and needed sunshine and fresh air. She shut off the tv, and called Roxy and Jake. They were going to go to the park. Dirk tried to point out that the park was a shithole and he was perfectly fine just opening the windows, but Jane was adamant. She made a picnic lunch for all of them, and finally Dirk couldn't protest any more.

Their progress was slow, since Dirk was hobbling along on crutches, but they still made it to the park before Roxy. Jake met them there, smiling and bouncing over, as cheery and boyish as ever.

"Hey, there you two are! Spiffin' day, ain't it?" Dirk couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile.

"Yeah, it's swell," he drawled. Jane nudged him, and smiled at Jake.

"He's happy to be here, Jake. He's just ornery." Jake forgave immediately, and took the picnic basket from Jane.

"Oh, you made lunch for all of us?" He peeked in at the food. "Smashing spread as usual, Crocker!"

Jane smiled and blushed, and Dirk grinned.

"Of course she made good food, Jake. Come on. Would you have picked anyone else to make lunch? I know I wouldn't touch what Roxy makes with a ten foot pole." Jake hooted, his big, hearty laugh carrying across the park.

"Righto, Dirk. I couldn't have said it better! Though you're no master chef, either." Jake and Jane both shared a laugh, and Dirk shrugged.

"Yeah, toast and ramen are my limits. Though I do make a good ramen, especially compared to the stuff you buy at the store. Eugh..." He shivers jokingly, already glad that Jane decided to go out. Roxy then seemed to pop out of nowhere, throwing an arm around Dirk.

"Aaaaaay, guys! Sorry I'm tardy to the party." The four of them just smiled at each other, and then went off to find a table to eat at. They all enjoyed the lunch thoroughly, and the little 'party' lasted nearly the whole afternoon, to the point that the sun was starting to set when they all left their separate ways. Dirk stopped Jane at the edge of the park, right under a big, shady tree that had been their play area when they were little. She turned to him, and he just smiled at her.

"Jane..." Dirk wasn't sure what to say, and he just decided to wing it as Jane looked at him expectantly.

"I know that I can be a huge jerk sometimes, and I do unexpected things, but I swear to god, Jane... I will never... EVER hurt you. I would risk everything for you. I... I love you."

Jane didn't say a word for a few moments, and Dirk started to kind of feel like an ass. Then, Jane kissed him. One of those firm, sudden, loving kisses that sent him reeling every time she did it. He was lucky to have the crutches, because he felt like his knees were going to give out. God, how did she do that to him? He stopped caring, getting his feet under him and putting his arms around her, pulling her hard against his chest to return the kiss wholeheartedly. His crutches fell away, but he was stable enough. They stood there for a good long while, just kissing desperately, their hearts pounding in blissful adoration.

When the kiss was broken, by who knows which one, Dirk was dazed and a little lightheaded. He held himself up against the tree, sighing happily. Jane leaned against the tree, too, smiling at him.

"I love you too, Dirk..." she said finally. "Now let's get ourselves home."

She picked up his crutches for him, and he took them gratefully, propping himself up again. She took the picnic basket, and the two walked back to Jane's house. Her father was out, Jane said on a date, and Dirk just shrugged it off. The two flopped onto the couch together, watching whatever happened to be on TV.

After a while, Dirk pulled Jane closer to him, holding her and stroking her hair. She sighed, resting her head against his chest as she did. She closed her eyes, taking his free hand in hers. He sighed, too, loving everything about the girl in his arms. He was so smitten.

After they had laid like that for a little while, Jane turned, facing him a bit more. She started to gently kiss him. He was more than happy to go along with that. He wrapped his arms around her, relaxing back against the couch as they shared the soft kisses. Jane put her arms around him, too. One hand on his shoulder, and one on the back of his neck, gripping his hair just a tiny bit. It was so familiar in a way he would have never hoped. He adored every second.

Then Jane started to lean into it a little more, kissing him with more firmness and passion, her head tilting a little more. He obliged her every move, letting her slowly press him so that he was laying on the couch, her on top of him. He moaned lightly, and pulled away, surprised at her boldness.

"Mm, Jane... What prompted this?" he asked, not letting go of her. She was blushing, and had looked away from him.

"I... I thought it was a good time... We've been together for over a month, and we share nearly every aspect of our lives with each other. And... I-I..." She blushed, toying awkwardly with a lock of his hair. He just smiled, kissing her gently on the lips.

"You wanted to? That's a perfectly good reason, Jane. A wonderful reason. I want you to want to do things with me. And this is really good..." He grinned at her, and after a moment, a smile grew on her face. She kissed him again, and he kissed her back, his hands on her hips gently. As he was kissing her, he wondered how bold she might be, and gently slid one hand up her side, closer and closer to her chest. She pulled away and watched his face, but didn't stop him yet.

He looked up at her, blushing brightly and slowly trailing his hand up. He cupped his hand over her right breast, not moving for a moment. Jane's cheeks were red, and she was biting her lip. Fuck, that was actually really adorable. To test, he slid his other hand up, so he was cupping her boobs in his hands. He kept watching Jane.

She was clearly getting agitated. Her eyes were flicking around, looking around before meeting his eyes for just a moment, then looking away again. She was starting to breathe a little heavier, and Dirk just returned his hands to gently resting on her hips. Then, he pulled her into a hug.

She relaxed against him, sighing and kissing his neck gently. It made him shiver and chuckle. He loved getting kissed there. It was one of his very few weaknesses. Then, Jane lifted her head, looking down at him.

"Dirk?" She looked unsure about something.

"Yeah, Janey?" He was content and looked at her with adoration. She messed with his hair again, and he closed his eyes, smiling and sighing. Then, she said something that made him jump and his eyes shoot open.

"Dirk, when you're better... I want to have s-sex with you."

He blinked at her, for a moment.

"_What?_"

**Author's Note:  
**Okay I'm done being trash. I'll update more frequently guys. 3  
Also, WHAT A TWIST! A sexy, sexy twist.  
How long do you guys think I can put it off with fluff and plot bunnies?  
Of course, if you guys had anything you'd like to see in the fic, go ahead and leave a review! I love them and I love all of you. 3


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:  
**I'm trash, and haven't written any smut in this chapter. That's next chapter.  
Thank you all for the lovely reviews~ You know who you are. 3

Dirk felt good. He felt amazing. He felt perfectly healthy and absolutely capable of what Jane was suggesting they wait for until he was healthy. But Jane was adamant.

"Dirk, you are not straining yourself just for this!" she told him firmly, pouting. He couldn't help but notice that she was cute-angry at him. He smiled a little.

"I'm fine, Jane. It's not any sort of strain."

"That is a lie and we both know it, you pig! You can't walk anywhere without your crutches yet, and if you start breathing too hard, your ribs still hurt. You told me just yesterday that making you laugh is painful!"

Dirk had to admit, she was sort of right. He hadn't been up to her room since he was injured, and he had to fight the urge to laugh sometimes because his bruised ribs would still hurt. He crossed his arms, frowning.

"I guess I am a little eager..." he conceded. It wasn't a lie. He was very, very eager. He loved Jane, and before he had been injured, his fantasies would run rampant about the two of them when he was at home alone.

Jane nudged his arm, drawing his attention back to her. When he looked, she hugged him and gave him a soft kiss.

"If you want it that much, you'll wait."

He shrugged and nodded, wrapping his arms around her. They went back to snuggling on the couch until the two fell asleep, Jane half-laying on Dirk with her head tucked under his chin.

A few weeks passed. Dirk found school dull when he returned, though certain people seemed to have a new respect for him. It may have just been fear, though. He didn't care. He was just protective of Jane, and she was fine after that. Nobody messed with her.

The cast on Dirk's leg came off, and was replaced with an ankle brace. He was able to walk on just one crutch, then none. He limped a little, and couldn't walk for too long, but he could make it to school and back, and move around freely. He and Jane started spending time up in her room again, once he could climb the stairs. It was so much nicer to snuggle and have intense makeout sessions when they had that much more privacy.

Dirk's ribs healed pretty quickly, and before too long, he was deemed able to walk without the brace on his ankle. It still ached a little on bad days, but he could walk and participate in gym again. When he started getting more exercise, his ankle strengthened more, and he was basically back to his old self.

Jane didn't breach the subject of the two of them having sex again, though. Whenever Dirk tried to bring it up, however subtle he was, she would just blush and change the subject. He stopped pushing it after a while, figuring that she wasn't ready yet. The waiting had gotten easier as time went on.

Finally, Dirk got an idea. He'd take her to a nice dinner. He had some allowance set aside. Then, he would bring her back to his house, where they could have some privacy, and she wouldn't be nervous. Of course, he would ask her father for permission to bring her over there, and to let her spend the night. Mr. Crocker trusted him quite a bit now. The two had bonded a little bit while Jane was at school, during Dirk's suspension.

Dirk started planning, and finally had it all prepared. He had gotten some condoms. They were in his bedside table at home. He had made a reservation at a relatively fancy restaurant by them. It wasn't too extravagant, but the kind of place where you wanted to dress up to go to. He had a nice outfit picked out. He was going to make that night very special. And if Jane didn't want to do anything at the end of it, well, he wouldn't complain. He told her the day before, which was Friday. They were snuggling on her bed and watching a movie, with her laying against his chest, his arms around her.

"Jane, I made us some dinner reservations... No special occasion, just... I want to take you somewhere nice," he mumbled to her. She turned to look at him.

"Really? When?"

He shrugged.

"Tomorrow night. Seven o'clock," he said with a smile. She considered, then smiled and nodded at him.

"I'd love to go. Especially if you went to the trouble to make reservations. Fancy, huh?" She giggled and kissed him. He smiled for a moment, then returned the kiss.

"Not too fancy, but I would advise wearing something nice, at least," he told her. She nodded.

"I wouldn't dream of being underdressed." She kissed him again, and their conversation dissolved into a gentle makeout session. They fell asleep together again.

The next afternoon, Dirk headed home with a final kiss on Jane's cheek.

"I'll see you tonight."

He spent the afternoon preparing himself. Both in appearance and mentally. He was nervous about tonight now that it was here. As he got dressed, his thoughts were going a mile a minute.

Would the night go well? Would he be willing to bring it up? If he did, would she say yes or no? Would he even be able to go through with it if she agreed? Would he be too nervous? Would _she_ be too nervous? Would he do well in pleasing her? Would he hurt her?

When that occurred to him, he was in the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror. He looked terrified. He was paler than usual, he had been chewing at his lip, and still was, and his eyes were wide. He had found what he was really afraid of about tonight. He didn't want to hurt Jane.

He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to get ahold of himself. He splashed cold water on his face and lightly smacked himself a little. God damn he was losing his cool. Finally, after almost twenty minutes of trying to shake it off, he collected himself and finished getting ready.

He shaved, and combed his hair back. He didn't meticulously style it like usual. He wanted to really look respectable for this date. He checked himself out in the mirror. He had to admit, he looked _good._

He put his wallet in his pocket, and strolled over to Jane's house. It was six thirty, with plenty of time to get to the restaurant. His hands were shaking a little, and he shoved them into his pockets after knocking. Mr. Crocker let him in, telling him that Jane was almost done getting ready.

Dirk idled in the living room, rapping quietly under his breath. It was something he did when he was nervous. He and Jane had talked that morning about how they were going to get to the restaurant. They decided on wearing sensible shoes and walking, since it was close enough.

Dirk messed with his shirt collar, making it lie flat. Then, he heard Jane's voice from up the stairs, soft and sweet.

"Dirk?"

He looked up, seeing Jane about halfway down the stairs. He was pretty sure his jaw was on the floor as he took in her appearance, looking her up and down. The first thing he noticed was how beautiful her makeup was, though it was simple. It hollowed her cheeks a little and gave her a regal appearance. Her already plush, pink lips were coated in shining red lipstick. Her eyes, framed by long, thick eyelashes, seeked his approval as she bit her perfect, red lower lip.

He was at a loss for words as he took in the rest of her appearance. A dark blue dress went down to almost her knee, the slightly flared skirt and tight, almost bustier-like top accentuating her lovely curves. She had a black shrug on, and clutched a matching dark blue purse in her hands. She walked down the last few steps, and Dirk met her at the bottom.

He had no idea what to do, so he just did the first thing that came to mind. He took her hand and pulled it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss against her soft skin. She blushed and giggled, hugging him. He returned the hug.

"You are breathtaking, Janey," he told her. She smiled up at him, taking his hand. He snapped out of it, and walked her to the front door, nodding a goodbye to her father. The two walked to the restaurant, holding hands as they went in the dusk light.

When they reached the restaurant, they were seated quickly, and sat quietly together, perusing the menus. The evening seemed, to Dirk, to go by in a blur. The only constant was Jane's beauty opposite him. Everything else was a dull monochrome compared to Jane's vibrant existence. Dirk was sure he was smiling like a moron at her whenever he had a chance, but he didn't care at all.

Before he knew it, the two were standing in front of his house, and he was fishing the key out of his pocket. His hands were shaking again, and he could barely unlock the door. Once they were in, and settled on the couch, they looked at each other. They just sat quietly for a minute, staring at each other.

Then they laughed. They were both too tense for the whole evening, and the laughter felt good. Once the tension was broken, Dirk just held Jane, and she held him. They stayed like that for a moment, the only sounds the quick, nervous beats of their hearts. Then they were kissing, gentle and timid, but repeatedly.

Dirk had never felt more attracted to Jane. He was helpless to his feelings about her. He just kissed her, reveling in the electric feel of every one. Finally, they took a moment to look at each other again. Then, they both tried to speak at the same time.

"I think-"

"Do you-"

"Oh, you fir-"

"No you go ahe-" Dirk waved his hands, stopping them both.

"Okay, same time?" he asked.

"On three?" she responded. He nodded.

"One."

"Two."

"Three. Do you want to go upstairs?"

"I think we should go upstairs."

They looked at each other, then blushed and looked away. They both mumbled "yeah" at the same time. Then Dirk chuckled, standing and offering his hand to Jane. When she took it, he pulled her up into a gentle kiss, his arm around her waist. She sighed, and the both of them relaxed a little more.

They held hands and went upstairs, though they both hesitated outside Dirk's door. He broke the silence first.

"Are you sure you want to, Jane?"

**Author's Note:  
**I'm like 900000% sure that Jane's gonna be okay with this. So, y'know. Look out for chapter 11, my lovelies!~


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:  
**Ahahahahaha no smut this chapter. Next chapter, I swear.  
For now, just ominously symbolic things.  
WHAT COULD IT BE?

They tried. Oh, how they tried. They kissed and groped and touched and said sexy things. But no matter what they did, they got no further than Dirk removing his shirt. They were too nervous.

Finally, the both of them just laid back on Dirk's bed, holding each other. It was pleasant, but a little awkward. Jane was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Dirk stroked her hair, shaking his head.

"Don't be, Crockpot. It wasn't the right time, I guess. We can wait, okay?"

Jane nodded, then sat up, turning to him. She kissed him gently, then smiled at him. It was a truly joyful smile, and it warmed Dirk's heart and made it thud in his chest. Jane spoke.

"I'm gonna go put on pajamas, ok?" Dirk nodded, getting up. Jane grabbed a bag she had given Dirk that morning to bring over, and left his room, to change in the bathroom. Dirk shut the door behind her, then changed into his own pajamas. He really just took off his slacks and pulled on some loose, well-worn flannel pants. He never did when he slept over at Jane's, and wouldn't tonight, but he usually wore nothing to bed. It was comfy.

Dirk lay back on the bed as Jane re-entered the room, in a large, button up flannel shirt and pair of pants. The set was a matching pale blue, and seemed like it had something in the fabric that sparkled dimly. It was seriously adorable. Dirk grinned at her, and she blushed.

"These look stupid, don't they?" she mumbled. "They were a gift... But they're really comfy."

Dirk chuckled and shook his head, patting the mattress next to him.

"Crocker, you look absolutely fuckin' cute," he told her, making her smile. She climbed into bed with him, cuddling close. He held her against his chest, beaming at her.

"You're like a little cupcake," he mumbled, kissing her forehead. She giggled, and kissed him on the lips.

"You could just eat me up, then, couldn't you?" she teased. He growled playfully, clicking his teeth at her. She hooted with laughter, hugging him. He returned the hug gladly, his face against the crook of her neck. He kissed her there, knowing it gave her goosebumps. She did not disappoint, and giggled some more, squirming in his arms. He held her, though, and kept kissing until she flinched away from his mouth, laughing and pushing him off.

"Dirk, you know that tickles me so badly!" she managed between giggles. He kept grinning at her, raising an eyebrow. She stuck her tongue out at him, which only made him grin more.

"Put that tongue back unless you intend to use it," he flirted. She blushed and pulled her tongue back into her mouth. She smiled, though, hugging him again.

"You goof... I love you," she sighed. He sighed along with her, rubbing her back. He didn't give two shits that they hadn't done anything. It was a wonderful date, and he was spending another night with the love of his life. He noticed that Jane was rubbing his chest. He let his head rest back and he closed his eyes, enjoying it.

The two of them fell asleep like that, snuggled together closely on his bed.

Then, Dirk had a nightmare. It was a recurring one, that he had had since he was younger. It had been coming back more and more. And it seemed sharper now, clearer. He was in pitch blackness, with a string in his hand. He could somehow make out the amber coloring of the strand until it faded into the darkness. He followed it, occasionally feeling a tremble or tug on the string. He just kept walking, occasionally finding a tangle or knot. He just moved past them, winding up the string. He had no idea what he was moving towards, but he wanted to get there.

As he went, things seemed to come to him from the darkness. Not anything recognizable in figure, but in feeling. Sadness, anger, shame, betrayal. All of them assaulted him, trying to get him to drop the string. Occasionally, when he was feeling down, a tiny spark would float along the string to his hand. That little spark was filled with life, love, and joy. It kept him gripping the string as he followed it.

He seemed to follow it for ages and ages. Then, the real nightmare part started. There would be the sound of scissors. An angry, hateful sound. His heart would pound, and he would run, following the taut string as fast as he could. Then, there would be a distorted, piercing cry, and the string would go slack. He would continue to follow it, though, even as the shining color of it dulled. He would reach the frayed, dirty end of the string, holding the ball in his hand. The string would keep fading, until there was nothing but a black, tangled, dirty mess in his hands.

The sound of those hateful scissors would start again, and grow closer and closer. Teasing, malicious now. He would cower, and just as the sounds reached a deafening pitch-

He jolted awake, panting and covered in a cold sweat. He shivered, sitting up and running his hands through his hair. Jane woke up next to him, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"Something wrong, Dirk?" she asked innocently. He shook his head, forcing his breathing to calm down. Jane put her arms around him, and that helped.

"You had that nightmare again," she observed. He just sighed and nodded, rubbing his face. Jane rubbed his back, comforting and understanding. Dirk relaxed, leaning against her a little. She kissed his cheek gently, as they laid back down together. Dirk held Jane close, nuzzling her. It was comforting, even if when he did it under other circumstances she just called him a big baby.

"It's okay, Dirk," she mumbled to him, already falling asleep again. Dirk was starting to drift, too. He was a little worried by the dream, though. He didn't usually put much faith in the meaning of dreams, but that one consistently scared him enough to make him upset.

Finally, he fell into a deep sleep, no more dreams coming to him that night. He woke up late the next morning. Jane was snuggled against him, but awake. She smiled and stroked his cheek, giving him a soft kiss. He smiled back, and turned his head to yawn. Then, he snuggled close to her, sighing. He didn't want to get up yet, and it seemed that Jane was willing to stay with him for a while.

**Author's Note:  
**I will have something to do with that dream. Eventually. And you will all cry and hate me and  
there will be trigger warnings on it and I will be such trash. Ahahahahahahhahahahaha. :]


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:  
_THIS IS IS. THE SMUT. THE FRICKLE FRACK. THE DANCE WITH NO PANTS.  
_**_**THE HORIZONTAL TANGO. DOIN' THE DO. It's basically this whole chapter, so NSFW tag on the whole thing, yo.  
**_GO FORTH AND READ, MY LOVELIES!~

They snuggled and kissed, warm and cozy. Dirk realized that it was raining outside, and pretty hard, too. He liked when it rained. It made the both of them really lethargic and they usually spent the day cuddling and watching movies together. As Dirk woke up more and more, though, his body had other plans. It seemed like Jane was really receptive to him, too, as their kiss got more and more intense.

Jane even started to take charge a little, leaning into the kiss. She didn't pull away when he gently prodded at her mouth with his tongue. She opened up to him, kissing him deeply. Their legs were tangled together from their cuddling, and Dirk wanted to shiver with pleasure every time Jane moved her legs, since he was hard and pressed against her thigh.

It kind of surprised Dirk how little Jane minded of this, but he got over it very, _very _quickly. His hands started to drift over her body, rubbing down her back to rest on her hips. Then, he started to work his hands up, unbuttoning her pajama shirt. Jane shivered and made a breathless little noise. She didn't pull away, though, her hands resting on his waist.

Dirk was starting to pant a little, kissing her desperately. After what seemed like too long, Jane's shirt was unbuttoned all the way. He gently slid it off her shoulders, his hands touching as much of her skin as he could. Her beautiful, pale, soft skin. Once her shirt was off and he had tossed it to the side, he pulled away from the kiss, to look at her. She was blushing an awful lot, and wouldn't meet his eyes, but she also didn't cover herself up.

"Oh, god, you're gorgeous," he breathed. She looked up at him timidly, a small smile tugging at her lips. Dirk gently laid her out on the bed, kissing her again. She shivered and sighed as he kissed down her neck to her collarbone. He rubbed his hand up her side, tracing the curve up to one of her soft breasts, stroking and lightly squeezing it. Jane sighed again, and made another one of those breathy noises. She was biting her lip and rubbing her legs together, goosebumps appearing all over her body. Dirk loved every bit of it. He leaned over her, his hand returning to her hip.

His fingers gently dipped under the waistband of her pajama pants, and he gripped the fabric. He paused, looking down at Jane. Her eyes were blisfully shut, and she just nodded, panting lightly. He got on his knees next to her, gently pulling her pants off. She helped, kicking them off. Their removal revealed a lacy, skimpy pair of panties, in teal and blue. Dirk bit his lip, his already hard length throbbing as he stared at her.

"Roxy helped you pick those out," he observed. Jane blushed and opened her eyes, blinking a little. She looked down, and nodded. He looked at her, and they both giggled, nervous but happy. Dirk laid down next to her, on his side, with his head propped up on his elbow so he could look at her and kiss her. He ran his hands over her torso, rubbing her stomach before going up to gently caress and grope her breasts. Jane closed her eyes again, sighing blissfully.

Dirk leaned over her, kissing her gently. She returned his kiss, turning a little so she could put her hand at his hip, her fingers timidly tracing along the waistband of his pajama pants. She opened her eyes again, unsure as she looked at him. He smiled at her and nodded.

"Go ahead," he whispered. She nodded, and started to gently tug his pants down. He kicked them off when they were low enough, and the both of them were just in their underwear. He kissed her again, and they just did that for a while. Dirk was content to, no matter how aroused he was. This was going to happen at Jane's pace. He didn't want to hurt her or scare her. He did continue to grope her a little, since she didn't seem to mind.

After a bit more kissing, Jane started to move her hips a little, rubbing up against Dirk. He groaned, pulling her against him more firmly. She moaned back at him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. Dirk gently pressed Jane back against the bed, his right hand rubbing over her rump and moving to her hip. He held himself over her, and then started to rub and press his hand against her crotch, against her panties. Just arousing her some more and getting her more comfortable. She was already pretty aroused, if her rapidly dampening panties and moans were any indication.

After a moment of his gentle rubbing, she moaned in complaint and started to slide her panties down. Dirk smiled, liking the initiative. He helped her remove them. Once they were off, he knelt between her knees, looking down at the exquisite person that lay before him. He rubbed his hands over her thighs, which were spread apart. While she was not hairless down below, it was obvious that she at least groomed down there, the curly black hair neat and clean. He leaned down over her, her bare hips pressed against his as he kissed her gently. She moaned, starting to rub her hips up against him again.

"D-Dirk," she breathed, making his heart pound. Her voice was full of want, and love, and trust. He knew he would not disappoint her. In the spur of the moment, he started kissing down her neck. She shivered and sighed, and he kept kissing lower. He was giving her skin hot, open-mouthed kisses. He kissed past her collarbone and down to her breasts. She moaned when he gently kissed and licked her nipples, which were poking up from her arousal.

As much as she was loving every second of this, he was as well. He kept moving lower, kissing her soft stomach. She was squirming again, as she finally caught the drift of what he was doing. He rested on his arms, letting his mouth hover over her vulva. He gently puffed out a breath of air, ruffling her pubic hair and making her squirm some more. He kissed along the inside of one thigh, then the other. Jane finally put a hand on his head, trying to encourage him to pleasure her. He laughed a little, and finally obliged her. He pushed her legs a little further apart, and started to gently kiss along her labia.

Her back arched, and her toes curled. She made another breathy noise, her wet arousal filling his senses. Dirk was in heaven as he gently pleasured her, his nimble tongue and lips caressing her most intimate area. She was panting heavier now, moving her hips a little. She gave him some guidance in the form of light "there"s and moans. After plenty of gentle, loving treatment, he took it a step further. He gently prodded a finger against her entrance, letting it get dampened by her arousal before he slowly pressed it in. Jane was more than aroused enough to take it in, and he started to slowly move the digit in and out of her.

The action elicited a gasp and a vibrant string of moans. Dirk kept up all his actions, licking and suckling at her clit, and moving his finger in and out of her. After she had suitably adjusted to the intrusion, he slid a second finger in. Another gasp, more moans. Then, a soft cry, and her inner walls were contracting around his fingers, pulsing as she writhed and gasped, her legs twitching. Her first orgasm under his touch. Dirk felt a small glow of satisfaction that he could do this to her. As she came down from the orgasm, relaxing against the bed, Dirk kept up his gentle motions. After a moment of panting, she started to climb towards a second orgasm.

Dirk took this opportunity to pull his fingers from her and sit up. She whined, her ankles crossing behind his back to try and pull him against her needy nethers, but he pulled away, sucking his fingers clean. He crawled over her, as she tried to grind against him. She really was needy when she was aroused like this. He liked it. He grabbed the condoms from his bedside table, eagerly fumbling one package out. He pulled his boxers off, as Jane contented herself with laying back, stroking her vulva lightly as she watched him.

Fuck, was that hot. Dirk hadn't exactly been going soft, but that aroused him even further. He tore the condom packet open, slipping it over his length. He had read the instructions over and over again, and knew he did it right.

Finally, after what seemed like an insurmountable amount of buildup, he positioned himself between her legs. He looked down at her, smiling. She smiled back, shifting her hips and getting comfortable. With that, he guided his member to her entrance, feeling the heat from her body clearly through the condom. As he pressed against her, the lubricated latex of the condom made a squishing, squeaking noise.

Dirk froze, and he and Jane shared a look. They burst into laughter, breaking any remaining tension. Dirk moved his hips, and it did it again. They giggled, and Dirk leaned over Jane, kissing her neck.

"I love you," he mumbled, not yet thrusting in. Jane sighed, her hand on the back of his neck. She whispered to him.

"I love you, too, Dirk..."

With that, Dirk was encouraged enough to slowly penetrate her. His length slid in with well-lubricated ease, and Jane moaned loudly, right next to his ear. He groaned, too, pushing his member into her until his pelvis lightly bumped against hers. When he was fully in, the both of them relaxed, sighing.

"Ohh, Jane," he breathed. She just nodded, panting lightly. Bracing his hands against the bed, Dirk slowly pulled back. He thrust back in just as slowly, groaning. Jane made high-pitched, breathy noises, moving her hips with his. Dirk bit his lip, and moved again, though a little faster. He grunted lightly, as his length slid in and out of her with ease.

Both he and Jane were loving every second, and soon were moving at a feverish pace, so in sync with each other that their hips met with every gasp-inducing thrust. Dirk was rapidly on the brink of his orgasm, but tensed up, doing his best to hold back, for Jane's sake. He didn't want to disappoint her by finishing too soon. Then, unexpectedly, Jane came, a shrill, joyous cry tearing from her throat.

As her walls pulsed and squeezed around his member, Dirk lost his control, and blew his load with a shout. He gripped Jane, pressing deep inside her as all the tension left his body from the orgasm. He practically saw stars from the intensity of the orgasm.

As he slowly came down from it, he panted heavily. Jane was, too, and he smiled at her, chuckling. She giggled, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He slowly, carefully slid out with a grunt. Jane groaned, her legs relaxing. Dirk pulled the condom off of his shaft, tying it off and wrapping it in tissues before shoving it in the waste bin.

Then, he laid down next to Jane, who snuggled close to him. She kissed him lightly, apparently not minding the taste of her own sexual juice. Dirk returned the deep kiss, then just smiled at her, stroking her side.

"Not too shabby for a first time, huh?" he asked. Jane shook her head, kissing him lightly.

"Amazing is more like it. If anything, I'd say you did some research on how to please a girl."

"Guilty as charged, Miss Gumshoe," he said with a wink. Jane giggled, kissing him again.

"It didn't take a sleuth to figure it out..."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

The two of them laughed lightly, and took a nap, snuggling warmly in his bed.

**Author's Note:  
_YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY THEY DID THE_**_ THING.  
_Now to tear your hearts out brutally within the next ten or so chapters. :o]


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:  
**Does anyone know my favorite part of being a fanfiction writer?

The next month passed almost uneventfully. After Jane and Dirk had made love, they went about their relationship the same as ever. Nothing really changed, except for a more intimate feeling in their relationship. It was almost like they were one being, two halves functioning perfectly together. Absolutely everything was perfect. Except one thing.

Dirk's nightmares. They were getting worse. More vivid and detailed, though as dark as ever. They were really haunting him, even to the point where he wouldn't go back to sleep if he had one. Jane had fallen for his excuses for a little while, but when he started drifting off while they were having one of their makeout sessions, she finally figured it out.

Dirk was snoring loudly on her bed, and Jane watched him for a little while. She thought he was kind of adorable when he slept. Any tension he carried in him just disappeared, and he curled up a little. If she would rub his back, he would stretch out like a cat, arching his back. Then he would curl up even more, sighing. Jane loved it. But her smile was sad as she looked down at him then.

She pulled his glasses off, setting them on her bedside table. Dark circles under his eyes betrayed how little he slept. She stroked her fingers through his hair, brushing his bangs aside to kiss his forehead tenderly. She felt a tight coil of worry in her stomach for him. He had described his dream to her once, and while she didn't really get it, she knew that it was probably a lot worse than he could convey.

She also knew that this worry and lack of sleep was bad for him. She climbed off the bed, going downstairs. She made a mug of tea for Dirk, frowning. Her father put his hand on her shoulder, seeing her frown.

"What's wrong, my dear?" he asked, his normally powerful voice soft and gentle when he spoke to his daughter. He knew her better than even Dirk, and knew that she only made tea when something was wrong. Jane hugged her father, and he patted her shoulder gently.

"Daddy, I know its a little silly, but... Dirk's been having these nightmares more and more, and they've been keeping him from sleeping. I'm worried about him," she confessed, looking up at her dad. Mr. Crocker considered for a few moments what Jane said.

"Hmm... Well, I'm no expert on dreams, but I'd-"

He was cut off suddenly when there was a panicked scream from upstairs, unmistakably Dirk's.

"JANE?!" he cried out. Jane was shocked, and dropped the mug of hot tea in her hands with a yelp. It shattered on the floor, and she jumped back. Her father knelt, a towel already in hand.

"Go check on the poor boy. I'll clean up," he said calmly. Jane nodded and dashed upstairs. Dirk met her on the landing, grabbing her and hugging her tightly. Jane panted, clutching him and stroking his hair.

"Dirk, Dirk, what happened?! You scared the dickens out of me! And you're shaking like a leaf!" She took Dirk's hands, walking him back to her room. She sat down with him on her bed, stroking his hair out of his face and cupping his cheeks in her hand. He was calming down, but his eyes still looked a little panicked. He hugged her again, the hug firm to the point of a painful grip.

Jane pushed him away, holding his hands in hers.

"Dirk, talk to me..." Jane looked and felt on the brink of tears. When Dirk started speaking, it nearly made her heart break.

"I-I... My dream... Again..." He looked away from her, down at the bed. Jane wanted to sob. He sounded so tiny and scared. This was something even she had never seen from him, ever. She urged him on silently, and he continued.

"It was... The-the same as ever, except..." Dirk looked up into Jane's eyes, and she nodded.

"Keep going. I'm here for you," she whispered to him. Dirk took a deep, shaky breath.

"You remember I told you about that scream. Th-that terrible... Horrible scream... W-we-"

His voice cracked, and Jane felt tears sliding down her face. Her knuckles were white as she gripped his hands, offering something solid for him. Dirk took another breath, and it sounded like he was trying with everything he was not to cry.

"I-it... It's you. The scream is you, Jane!"

Jane gasps and hugs him, and he holds her tightly, his carefully constructed mental walls breaking down. Tears seem to flood out of his eyes, and he chokes on his own breath, sobbing as quietly as he can. He trembles and whimpers, Jane's heart breaking at the sound of him. Dirk had never, ever, _ever_ cried. Not like this.

She just held him and let him cry it out, rocking him gently back and forth. She cried quietly, too, feeling him crumble in her arms. After what felt like hours of crying, they fell asleep together, though it was a light sleep. They kept waking up to pull closer to each other and reassure the other that they were still there with gentle kisses and touches.

Dirk was much more protective of Jane now, always keeping her close and making sure she was okay. He didn't freak out again, but he was much more watchful. The two of them also found a new routine that worked to help Dirk's nightmares.

Before bed, Jane would make them each a mug of tea, and they would sip it quietly together. Dirk would always finish his first, and lay his head on Jane's lap, closing his eyes. She'd stroke his hair gently out of his face while she finished her tea. He would almost drift off to sleep, and then they would get comfortable, Jane turning the light out. They'd give each other gentle kisses, and then fall asleep together. For whatever reason, it worked, and Dirk's nightmares were less frequent. There were still nights when he had them, and nights when he had to stay home or couldn't spend the night. But even on those few nights, they would still drink their tea and fall asleep, telling each other good night over the phone. Their waking hours were calm and as normal as ever, and everything was getting better.

Then, Halloween rolled around, and something happened that changed the both of them.

**Author's Note:  
**The answer to the above question is because I'm getting a throne soon! It will be made out of all the hearts I will rip out of your chests with these FEELS, bro.

Also, be on the look out for a new fanfiction that I'm going to attempt to juggle with this one! It will be less fluffy, more... Ehh, sexy. Lots of NSFW in that one. I'm talking second chapter frickafrackin'. So yeah! :D


	14. Chapter 14

The Halloween dance at their school was kind of a big deal. Everyone was buzzing about it for the whole month, and more than a little "spooky" graffiti ended up on bathroom stalls and the posters outside. Occasionally someone managed to come up with something genuinely unnerving. It was usually only around Halloween when this mysterious artist would show up and draw the most surreal, spectacula- Ok, it was Dirk.

Nobody at school knew, though. Not even Jane. She loved the art though, and started carrying around a camera when the time was getting close that one would show up. Dirk did not want to disappoint this year. He had spent months working up sketches and designs for it. Doing this was the only vandalism he ever did, but it really seemed to bring the school together. A sense of pride, probably.

Dirk snuck to school, late one night. It had been a real big deal trying to figure out a lie to Jane. He was still having his nightmares, and was extremely tempted to fall asleep. But he snuck out anyways, grabbing a duffel bag of spray paint cans and his design. He changed into all black, wearing nondescript sneakers that he only used for this. Just in case of footprints. He also wore gloves when doing this, and left his shades at home. Too identifiable.

Then, he snuck to the school, hopping the fence and making his way to a fresh wall. Never in the same place twice. He glanced at his design, and started working. It took him almost three hours to finish, and it would be dry by the time school started. He stood back, looking at it. Eerie.

He snuck back to Jane's house, and crawled into her bed. She snuggled close, waking up a little.

"Mm, hey, Dirk... Where'd you go...?"

Dirk wrapped his arms around her, yawning.

"Sorry babe, had to take a piss," he mumbled back. She giggled, sleepy still.

"Mmn... You smell like spray paint... Might just be me, though..."

Dirk tensed up, but shrugged.

"I think you're still half-asleep, Janey. Go back to bed..."

He kissed her softly, and she nodded, resting her head and starting to snore a little bit. Cute. Dirk sighed, having dodged a bullet with that. He fell asleep with her, waking up the next morning for school. Before they left, Jane grabbed her camera. She chattered on as they walked together, Dirk tiredly nodding as she spoke.

When they got to school, it was all abuzz with news of the Halloween graffiti having shown up again. This one seemed to have made a few girls cry when they came upon it. Dirk chuckled at that, and Jane pulled him along, shouldering through the crowd to try and go get a picture of the art. When they reached it, Jane considered it for a few moments, her head tilted to the side. Then, she nodded, snapping a picture. Even though Dirk wasn't going to tell her, yet, that he was the one who did them, he still felt proud that she approved.

The rest of the month passed uneventfully. Then, the dance rolled around. It had been announced to be a masquerade party, though anyone wearing inappropriate costumes would be de-masked and written up. Dirk hadn't been planning on going, but Jane shoved a costume at him the night of the dance, and informed him that they were, in fact, going.

Dirk had no choice but to get into the costume, which he actually kind of approved of. It was dark and a little broody looking, and simple enough that he actually bothered with it. Just a vampire count, though with the mask and a hooded cloak, instead of the high-necked BS that type of costume usually had. And the fangs were high quality ones that stuck to his regular teeth and didn't affect his speech any. Hell, he could still rap with them on.

Jane herself was in a vampiress costume, which Dirk thought looked like really cute gothic lolita. With just a hint of Red Riding Hood. She also had a mask, and wore red lipstick. Dirk loved when she wore that lipstick. Especially with those little white fangs she had on showing up over her lower lip.

"You look adorable, Jane," he commented as they walked to the school. Jane giggled, holding his hand. Little kids were running around, trick-or-treating. When they got to the school, they were fashionably late to the dance. The beat was pounding in the gym, though Dirk thought the acoustics setup was terrible. He accepted it, though, because Jane pulled him onto the dance floor, emboldened by not being alone and wearing the mask.

Their dancing was rather innocent compared to that of their classmates, and Dirk ended up grinning and laughing as they danced, having a ton of fun with Jane. The two of them even hollered support at a classmate when he cleared an area in the middle of the floor and started breakdancing.

Then, Jane, being the tricky girl she was, grabbed Dirk's cape off of him as a new song started, and shoved him into the now empty clearing. Dirk blushed, but knew the song, and gave Jane what she wanted. He danced in front of nearly the entire student body, graceful and skilled. There were cheers all around, especially when he finally returned to Jane, giving her a deep kiss.

Dirk pulled them out of the main crush of people, closer to the side. He kissed her again, still blushing brightly.

"You're a jerk," he told her, having to shout over the music.

"You did it, though! And you looked awesome!" she shouted back, bouncy and filled with energy.

"Let's get a drink," Dirk said, pointing to the drinks. Jane nodded and walked over with him, navigating the dancing students. They bumped into Roxy, who was dressed in a catsuit. She had been grinding her ass against a nervous, protesting, red-faced Jake. Jane howled with laughter at the expression on Jake's face, leaning on Dirk. Dirk just shrugged when Jake was dragged off by Roxy, still protesting, into the crush of writhing students in the middle of the dance floor. Dirk and Jane shared a laugh, getting punch.

Dirk coughed when he tasted it, looking down at the cup. Ugh, watered down fruit punch. He figured he might as well just drink water. It wouldn't leave such a sour taste in his mouth. Jane didn't seem to mind, though, and he excused himself. He walked out of the gym, going to the water fountain by the bathrooms.

In the hallway, he walked past no fewer than five couples making out, out of sight of the faculty. He just rolled his eyes, finding the loud face-sucking kind of gross. Probably because it wasn't Jane. He got a drink, then went back to the gym. Jane wasn't by the punch bowl anymore, and he didn't see her nearby. He looked for her, thinking that he glimpsed her a couple times.

He didn't though, and started calling her name. After a while of looking, with no success, he goes to the side, climbing up onto the closed bleachers. He peers around from the higher vantage point, eventually taking his mask off to see better. He couldn't recognize anyone in here, and couldn't see Jane.

Now he was getting worried. He cupped one hand to his mouth.

"JANE," he hollered, his voice barely carrying. A couple people nearby looked at him, probably thinking he was crazy. He gave up, and hopped down from the bleachers, putting his mask back on. He wove his way through the students, going up to the DJ. He asked if the guy could let Jane know he was looking for her, and he nodded. When the current song ended, the DJ picked up the mic.

"Jane Crocker, could you approach the DJ station? Jane Crocker, your boyfriend is looking for you."

The crowd buzzed, as people started looking around. Dirk fidgeted a little when Jane didn't come up to the DJ table. He could see over some of the crowd, and everyone looked confused. She didn't even call out. Everyone at the school knew Dirk and Jane were a couple, since it wasn't really a secret. Even the faculty knew, and started calling out for Jane. Dirk joined in, moving through the now still crowd. They parted, everyone still looking around. He yanked his mask off, searching wildly for her.

"Jane! JANE! _JANE WHERE ARE YOU?_" he cried, his heart pounding. His face felt warm, and he realized he was crying. Where was she?

**Author's Notes:  
**So I hear that throne made out of your hearts is coming along good.  
I should only need it for... Ehhh, three or four more chapters. Something like that.

In the meantime, check out my new fic, Trickster! It's a demon AU, which is sure to take some  
twists and turns!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:  
**Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault  
Nothing major, but I figure you deserve a warning anyways

Jane was nowhere to be found on the dancefloor or even in the gym. Whispers started, like a worrying breeze. Whispers about Jane, and about Dirk. A couple people that he overheard mentioned that someone had spiked the punch. Dirk realized that that was what tasted weird. Jane had still been drinking it when he left, though. Fuck.

"_JANE_," he howled, knowing that there was not a high likelihood that she was still in the gym if they hadn't found her yet. He bumps into Roxy, grabbing her.

"Rox! Go look for Jane in the girls' room," he ordered. Roxy nodded quickly and dashed off. Dirk grabbed Jake, who was stony-faced and obviously worried as well. The two left the gym, searching the rest of the school. Finally, they tried searching the football field.

In the parking lot behind the field, there were some cars parked. Inside a pool of light cast by a street lamp, there were a bunch of jocks, standing in a circle in costume. They were jeering and yelling about something. Dirk had a bad feeling. Jake followed him as he stormed over to the jocks, who all appeared to be part of the football team, though there were only about ten of them there. The shouts and angry cheers rose in pitch, just as Dirk found his way to the outside of the circle.

Then, he heard the scream. The same one from his nightmare. Jane's scream. It froze him to the spot, horrified. Jake, who was standing next to him, paused too, eyes wide. The two started to shove their way through the guys in the circle, careless of any injury they may have caused. Dirk was pretty sure that if he had had a weapon on him, there would have been blood spilt.

He burst into the center in time to see one of their classmates, a tall, lanky, good-for-nothing guy called Gamzee, pull Jane up against him. The large teen grabbed her ass, as she weakly protested, clearly a bit tipsy. He tried pulling her close, laughing loudly. She tried pushing him away, but he was a lot stronger than her. He grabbed the back of her neck, and kissed her, hard. Jane fought and cried as he shoved his tongue into her mouth.

Dirk saw red, and almost charged forward. Jake grabbed him around the middle, holding him tightly back until he managed to get past his initial anger. He knew he would get in a lot of trouble if he did anything.

"HEY. ASSHOLE," he shouted. Jake set him on his feet, backing him up. Gamzee turned, grinning. He let go of Jane, who fell to the ground, crying. Dirk nodded, and Jake went over to her, putting an arm around her and helping her up. Dirk was tense and angry as he stared Gamzee down, shaking.

"HOW _DARE_ YOU TOUCH HER. HOW _**DARE YOU!**_" Gamzee shrugged a shoulder, unconcerned. His costume looked half-assed, like he had shown up just to get into trouble. And boy, was he in trouble. Dirk was out for blood. Jake made sure Jane was okay for the moment, and took Dirk's arm, pulling him back. Dirk went, reluctantly.

There were jeers and calls from the football team, but they went ignored. Roxy ran out of the school, seeing them.

"Oh-em-gee, Janey! What happened?" she cried. Dirk had his arm around Jane, and she was shivering and crying. Dirk shook his head, and Roxy just fell into step with them. The four of them went back to the gym, where they were mobbed by the students. The teachers tried holding them back, but they kept getting louder, asking what happened.

Then, Jane screamed. She ducked down, screaming until they all shut up, and the people closest to them backed away. Dirk helped her up, and she sniffled, hiding her face against his chest. She cried quietly, Dirk holding her as he told what he saw. He named everyone that he could, but especially Gamzee.

Police walked into the gym then, having been called due to Jane's missing status. Dirk walked her over, and she quietly told the officers what had happened. Teachers were going through the students, requesting that they remove their masks for identification. When none of Jane's assailants were identified among the kids in the gym, they were released to go home.

Jane didn't want to sue the guys that had taken her, but Dirk knew that the school would take care of them. They had a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harrassment. When they had finished with the police, Dirk called Jane's father, asking him to come get them.

The two waited out front of the gym, alone after Roxy had said goodbye. Jake had left a bit earlier, with his condolences and a tight hug to Jane. Dirk just held Jane, as the two stood there. The night had certainly taken a turn for the worst. After a couple minutes, Jane pulled away. She went over to some nearby bushes, and fell over them, puking. Dirk turned away, since the sight of it upset him.

He could hear her coughing and crying a little, spitting the last of the puke out of her mouth. Dirk went over after a second, rubbing her back. She cleared her throat, and straightened up, turning to look at him. She looked pitiful. Dirk brushed a bit of hair out of her face, then hugged her tightly.

"It turns out someone spiked the punch," he muttered. Jane nodded.

"I n-never want to drink again..." Her voice was tiny, and just a little hoarse. Dirk rubbed her back some more, and saw her father pull up. He helped Jane to the car. Dirk was amazed Mr. Crocker hadn't gotten there sooner, but just looking at him, Dirk could tell he was tense.

Dirk had explained a little bit of what happened on the phone, but wanted Jane to tell what had really happened. They left the school in silence, with Jane leaning against Dirk, still sniffling a little. He didn't let go of her the whole way back to her house, and she clutched him tightly.

When they reached her house, Dirk walked her inside. He excused himself for a moment, to change out of his costume. He went home, changing into something he would be comfortable falling asleep in. Then, he returned to Jane's house, knocking politely before walking in. Mr. Crocker was sitting in the living room, quietly puffing on his pipe. Every subtle motion showed how tense and angry he was.

"Where's Jane?" Dirk asked. He was sure he wasn't gone for more than ten minutes. Mr. Crocker nodded up the stairs.

"In the bathroom. She's been using mouthwash for the last five minutes."

Dirk took the steps two at a time, then walked over to the bathroom. Jane was still in costume, but had pulled off her fake teeth. She had the mouthwash open in front of her, and was crying as she swished it around her mouth. She saw Dirk in the mirror, and spat it out, wiping her mouth before turning.

He opened his arms, and she walked forward, hugging him and sobbing quietly. Dirk held her close, stroking her hair lightly.

"I'm here, Janey... You're safe... Y-you're safe," he assured her. He heard his voice break, and took a deep breath, as she rested her head against his chest. The two stood there for a good long while, just holding each other. Then, Dirk looked down at her, kissing her forehead.

"It's not your fault, Jane. Okay? Not your fault."

Jane nodded, and Dirk gently kissed her on the lips. She pulled away, shaking her head.

"N-no... I- He... That awful Makara boy!" A fresh round of tears filled her eyes, and she turned, getting more mouthwash and rinsing her mouth. Dirk stood by quietly, letting her do what she wanted. He could still hear her scared scream in his mind. When she had rinsed her mouth again, Dirk took the mouthwash from her, screwing the cap on. Then, he took her hand, bringing her downstairs.

She quietly told her father what had happened, curled up on the couch with Dirk. Dirk just stroked her hair, acting as her anchor, keeping her comfortable and letting her feel safe. He felt like he was ready to cry a bit, but kept it in. With very few exceptions, Striders didn't cry.

When she had finished telling her father what happened, she hid her face against Dirk's chest, sniffling. Her father sat quietly, pondering what she said. Dirk thought he looked murderous. He felt the same. Dirk looked down at Jane, hugging her tightly. She was trembling. He rubbed her back, and then her father spoke.

"Jane, if you don't want to press charges against these boys, I understand. But perhaps you'd like to be homeschooled? You seem to have a lot of problems this year."

Jane shook her head, gripping Dirk's shirt.

"I-it's okay, Daddy... I have Dirk..."

Dirk felt his heart pounding. She sounded like a little kid again, trusting and innocent. Dirk held her even tighter.

"Th... That's right. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her. You know I will, Mr. C."

Jane looked at her father, and his anger seemed to soften. He nodded quietly, getting up. He went over to the two, and kissed the top of Jane's head. Dirk turned his head away, coughing from the pipe smoke. Her father went to his study, and Dirk held Jane for a few minutes. Then, he pulled back, looking into her eyes.

"Janey, go get some pajamas on. We'll put a movie in, and I'll be here for you all night. Okay?"

Jane slowly nodded, getting up. He got up too, kissing her cheek softly. She was a little tense when he did, but managed a half-smile at him. The two went upstairs, and she took her clothes to the bathroom, to get changed. Dirk took her laptop, pulling up a movie and settling on her bed. He waited for her, and when she joined him, he wrapped them both in her blanket, his arm around her as they watched the movie on her computer.

She fell asleep, her head on his shoulder. Dirk closed her laptop after a few minutes, setting it aside. Like he had so many times before, he pulled her glasses off, followed by his own. He just wanted to listen to her calm, peaceful breathing.

It made him sad. Jane deserved nothing less than peace and happiness. Could he give that to her? He thought he could. He would try his hardest to do so. He wondered about what he could do for her. He wanted to give her something. Something useful. He grabbed her laptop again, letting her sleep snuggled next to him. He started browsing online. He eventually came across the perfect thing for her.

It was a pretty necklace. Something suitably feminine. But the pendant was a tiny dagger. Nothing that would kill someone, or prompt it to be taken away at school, but it would certainly hurt someone if they tried attacking her. Dirk grinned. Perfect. He'd have to remember it, maybe for Christmas or something. Maybe sooner. His bro left him a credit card, just in case he wanted something that came out while he was gone, or if there was an emergency.

It would probably give Jane a sense of security. Dirk decided on ordering it in the next week or so. He closed the browser, and set her laptop down. He snuggled into the bed with her, feeling confident that he would keep Jane safe. He fell asleep feeling that confidence.

**Author's Note:  
**So I'm going to be wrapping this up in a few chapters. I love all my readers, and I would have loved  
to have some people share an idea or two for a plot point.

Read my other fics, though! I have a new one-shot story coming up. No smut or anything,  
but I like the concept. So yeah.


	16. Chapter 16

Dirk had been unsure about buying Jane the necklace for a while, until something happened that decided it.

Jane had been pretty jumpy ever since the dance. She glanced around nervously, almost all the time, and hid behind Dirk whenever they passed any of the football team in the hallway. They would hoot and make lewd gestures at her. Dirk would just keep walking, though he felt murderous when it happened. He'd sweep Jane away, holding her tightly.

Dirk was protective of her. Though even with him, she was nervous. She wouldn't kiss him anymore, and when he kissed her, she wouldn't let it last long. He didn't push it on her, but it upset him. Even their cuddling felt a little colder.

Then, one day, he walked into her kitchen to see her quietly mixing something. He walked up behind her, and put a hand on her waist, kissing her cheek. She must have been lost in her own world, and hadn't heard him coming.

Because she screamed, dropped the bowl, and smacked him across the face. Dirk was knocked over, and groaned, rubbing his cheek. Jane was panting, the bowl of batter spilled across the floor. Dirk looked up at her, and her eyes got wide. She knelt down next to him, crying.

"Oh god Dirk! I'm so sorry! Y-you just surprised me, a-and I thought-"

Dirk cut her off, putting a finger to her lips.

"It's fine, Jane. At least you didn't break my nose. Gotta keep my face pretty."

She gave him a shaky smile, and giggled a little through her crying.

"Let me help you with this," Dirk said. He got up, and the two quietly cleaned up the spilled batter. Dirk took the bowl, and swiped his finger over the inside, tasting it.

"Mm, too bad it spilled, this is good. What's it for?"

Jane had stopped crying while they cleaned, and smiled at him again.

"No reason, really. Cake is always good, though, especially chocolate."

Dirk was still eating the batter from inside the bowl, nodding. It really was good. After a minute, Jane laughed, and took the bowl from him.

"Okay, piggy, cut it out! I'm going to make another," she giggled. Dirk grinned at her, grabbing a glass and drinking some water. The cake was very rich. Jane was a great baker. He sat on the counter, watching her as she baked. He saw how she relaxed, going through familiar, comfortable motions. Dirk smiled a little, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the counter.

He knew he was going to buy her the necklace as soon as possible. Jane had seemed sort of normal, but the incident had just revealed that she was scared, even in her own home. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening the browser and pulling up the website. As Jane baked, he bought the necklace for her. She had no idea.

It arrived within the week, and he was suitably impressed with the solidity of the dagger. The chain was also nice and long, so it could be worn over or under her shirt, laid flat against her chest. Dirk put it in his pocket, and went over to Jane's house. The two were cuddling on the couch, watching a movie. He turned to her.

"Hey, Janey?" he asked quietly, his arm around her. She turned to him, glancing at the movie for a moment before giving him her full attention.

"Yeah, Dirk? What is it?"

"You know I love you, right?"

She smiled at him and nodded, clearly a bit curious about where this was going. Dirk reached into his pocket, gripping the necklace.

"Well," he said gently. "I know you've been really nervous and scared recently." He held up a hand to stop her when she tried to protest.

"Ah, hear me out," he told her. "I just want you to feel safe. I startled you before, and you freaked out a bit." Jane blushed, and her eyes flicked to look at his cheek. He still had a faint mark.

"So I got you something. Close your eyes, Jane."

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded, timidly closing her eyes. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket, and put the chain over her head, letting the dagger pendant hang down her chest.

"Ok, you can open them," he said, kissing her forehead. She opened her eyes, lifting the dagger pendant. She smiled a little at it, and Dirk could see tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered. She dropped the pendant, and hugged him. He returned the hug, and could barely feel the dagger. He rubbed Jane's back, smiling. She lifted her head, and gave him a gentle, tender kiss. The first she had initiated in a while. She let it linger, too, holding Dirk close. Dirk clutched her, his heart pounding and filled with love.

When they pulled apart, Dirk lifted the small dagger. He ran his thumb over the edge.

"It's not sharpened very much. Won't cut anything." He tapped the pad of his index finger against the tip. "Kind of pointy, though. You'll be able to defend yourself if anything ever happens. I don't expect it to, but I want you to feel safe. Okay?"

Jane nodded, taking the pendant and playing with it a little, turning it over between her fingers, and gazing at it.

"Th-this was very thoughtful, Dirk..." Her face was teary and her voice was wavering a little, but happy. "And I do feel safer..."

She let it fall, and hugged him close. She kissed him softly again, holding him close. Dirk returned the kiss, stroking her hair lovingly. He didn't know if it was appropriate, but he wanted to ask her something.

"Jane... Do you want to spend the night at my place? I... Well, I want to make you feel good..." He blushed, honestly intending to focus on her if she agreed. She seemed nervous, but appeared to be really thinking about it.

"Uhh..." She bites her lip, giving him another soft kiss. He let her do so, and just stayed quiet.

"After the movie...? I want to see the ending?"

Dirk chuckled, settling in next to her, his arm around her. He put his feet up, and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I do too," he mumbled, smiling.

**Author's Note:  
**Okay, so I'll be finishing this after another chapter or two. The next chapter will be smut.  
After that, I dunno. I might finish it on a high note, or perhaps write a nice Epilogue.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:  
**NSFW Chapter. It's basically the whole thing except for the last paragraph, which I recommend reading if you want a smile about this fic.

The movie had finished, and the two just sat there, a little nervous again. Finally, Dirk clapped his hands once, standing.

"Okay, let's go. Grab your pajamas, Janey," he told her. She smiled at him and nodded. She hopped up off the couch, climbing the stairs to go to her room. She returned after a few minutes with a bag over her shoulder. She called to her father.

"Daddy, I'm going to spend the night at Dirk's house!"

Her father called back an "okay, see you tomorrow, sweetie," and the two were off. They held hands, gripping each other tightly as they walked to the next house over. Dirk unlocked the door, and let the both of them in. They went up the stairs to his room, and he locked his door behind him, just in case his bro came home later that night.

They sat on his bed together, and Jane rested her head on his shoulder. She lifted the dagger pendant, smiling softly.

"I really do like this, Dirk. It was very thoughtful of you..."

Dirk nodded quietly, his arm around her shoulders. The two sighed, and then Dirk laid back on his bed, patting the space next to him.

"Come here, Crockpot. Let's just warm this up with some cuddling."

Jane smiled, and pulled the necklace off. She didn't want it to accidentally jab him. She set it aside gently, then scooted over to him, settling her body against his. They held each other for a little while, and Dirk almost drifted off into sleep. He blinked and woke himself up, though, and sighed happily, pulling Jane closer. She looked up at him, pulling his glasses off so she could gaze into his eyes.

He kissed her. She reciprocated, her lips gentle against his. He put his hand on her cheek, then trailed it to the back of her neck, holding her close. She gladly pressed against him, sighing quietly. Their kiss was gentle and tender for a little bit, until Dirk slowly started to increase the intensity. He tilted his head a little, opening his mouth a tiny bit. Jane responded well to his silent requests, mirroring him.

After a short while, he slid his hands down, gently groping and squeezing her soft chest. Jane pulled away from the kiss just a little, sighing. Dirk went slow, caressing and rubbing her body. He longed to feel her without her clothes on, but he didn't want to move too fast and scare her.

Jane sat up a bit, and he copied her. She gently kissed him, and then took the hem of his shirt. He shifted again, pulling it off. He let it fall to the side, and Jane took a moment to look at him. She had always liked to see him shirtless. He was toned to the point where his muscles stood out in just the right way. He gave Jane a cocky wink, and flexed.

She hooted with laughter, and any lingering tension disappeared. She kissed him again, her hands stroking down his abs and then resting at the waistband of his pants. He sighed happily, putting his hands on her hips. He returned her kiss, slowly slipping his hands up under her shirt. She sighed, and pulled away from the kiss. She helped him pull her shirt off. Her glasses were knocked off, and she took them, sliding them back on with a giggle.

He chuckled, pulling them off of her. He put them on himself, grinning and winking. She smiled back at him.

"You look cute in those..."

She kissed his nose gently, and he blushed, stroking her cheek. He took her glasses off of himself, setting them next to his shades. He kissed her again, and the two laid back onto the bed. The kiss grew in intensity, and Dirk was getting harder as they went. He helped Jane squirm out of her skirt, so she was in just her panties and bra.

They returned to the kiss, sighing and moaning softly. Dirk let his hands run over Jane's skin. She was soft. He loved how she felt under his hands. Especially when she got goosebumps all over her body. He kissed down her neck. She wiggled and moaned. He nuzzled his face against her chest, right between her boobs. Her skin smelled good. She put her hands on his head gently, lifting his face from her chest.

"E-enjoying yourself?"

He shrugged, nodding a little.

"Kind of, yeah. Your skin is soft, and you smell good," he told her. She blushed a little, and giggled. He sat her up a little, and fumbled with the clasp of her bra. She waited for a moment, and when he was unsuccessful, she reached back, unclasping it.

"I-I forgot that you didn't do th-this last time..."

She giggled again, kissing him. He blushed, shrugging. He pulled her bra off of her, tossing it aside. He rubbed his hands over her chest, and she sighed. Her nipples got hard under his touch, and he gently pinched them. She moaned, kissing him gently.

"I love you, Dirk..."

"I love you, too, Jane..."

Jane fumbled for a moment with the zipper of his jeans. She got it, though, and slipped his pants down his legs. He kicked them away, and pulled Jane close against him. He moaned lightly, kissing her desperately and grinding his hips against hers. She let out a shaky breath, timidly moving her hips against his.

His hands explored her body freely, the body that was almost as familiar to him as his own. His hands found their way down to her butt, and he held her hard against him. She shivered, opening her eyes to look at him. He returned her gaze, loving and caring. She smiled at him, and her hands grabbed his ass, squeezing.

The two laughed quietly, before returning to the kiss. Dirk gently started to slide her panties off. She shifted her hips to make it easier for him, and kissed his neck while he did. He thought she would be letting him take the initiative for most of it, but once he panties were off of her, she pushed him back against the bed. He was surprised, but obeyed.

Once he was laid back, she moved so she was straddling him. He put his hands on her hips, looking up at her. She looked timid, but he nodded at her. She brightened up, and ran her hands down his chest and stomach. He felt a wave of arousal rush through him, his cock twitching. She glanced down, then back at his face, blushing. He smiled at her, nodding again. She returned the smile, then started to edge herself back.

She positioned herself between his legs, and started to slip his boxers off. He let her, and with the both of them fully nude, she licked her lip, biting the lower one.

"You're so cute, Jane," he mumbled. She looked at his face, smiling. He knew she couldn't really see him that well, but she liked the encouragement.

"I, uh... I kind of... Well, I may have done "research"," she made air quotes with her fingers, "a-about... You know... Me, pleasuring, uh, you... With m-my mouth..."

She was blushing, and adorable, and Dirk smiled. He had wondered when a good time to breach the subject of her doing that would be, but she seemed to have taken the initiative more than he thought. He remembered what he had said, though, and sat up.

"Jane, I want to make you feel good. As much as I would fuckin' love that, I want to please you tonight."

She blushed, and nodded, looking down. He could practically feel her insecurity, and he moved over to her, wrapping her in his arms, hugging her tightly.

"I love you, Jane. And I promise, you're gonna feel amazing by the time I'm finished with you."

Jane nodded, and let him lay her back on the bed. She eagerly returned his kisses, as he lounged next to her. His fingertips gently stroked and teased her skin. She got chills over and over, moaning softly and panting as he trailed his hands lower and lower. When his hand was cupped against her vulva, she moaned loudly, tensing up and shivering again.

He was gentle and caring, his fingers slowly parting her folds to tease over her labia. She shivered once more, her legs spreading. She was soaking wet, plenty aroused by him. He slipped his fingers up and down, making her squeak with pleasure. She panted, and he let her, kissing her neck and collarbone.

He had barely started, but she must have been really pent up, because she came already, her legs twitching and her hands gripping the bed. Dirk grinned, continuing to gently stroke her labia. As she was coming down from that orgasm, he gently swirled his fingers over her clit. She gasped, her back arching. He chuckled, loving how sensitive and reactive she was. He pressed his fingers against her clit gently, rubbing with gentle, flickering touches. Each one seemed to send a little jolt through her. He loved it.

She started panting, moving her hips against his hand. He smiled, his fingers rubbing her clit with longer, firmer strokes. Her panting got louder, more like moans, and she came again, crying out his name.

"Ohh, D-Dirk! Dirk, yes!" she squealed to him. He could feel her clit throbbing with her quick heartbeat, the blood pumping to it.

"I'm just getting warmed up, Janey," he purred to her. She shivered again, leaning over to kiss him deeply. She gripped him hard, her nails digging into his skin a little. It was kinky and sexy, but he pushed her back down onto the bed after a minute.

Now he was really getting into it. He was quite easily able to slip two fingers into her. He moved them in and out of her, and she cried out, arching her back. He loved seeing her like this. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes shut and her mouth open, moans spilling out. She was so at his mercy, trusting him and loving how he pleasured her. He smiled, shifting his fingers as he moved them inside her, making her cry out again.

She moved her hips against his fingers, making him push them as deep into her as they would go. She came again, her inner walls pulsing around his fingers, squeezing them. After letting her come down from that orgasm, he pulled his fingers from her. They were glistening with her aroused juices. He sucked on his fingers, loving how she tasted. Tangy and sweet. She looked like she wanted to jump him and take him like that, but he pinned her to the bed, kissing her neck.

She knew what he was going to do, though, and moaned in complaint.

"Oh, stop with the teasing and just _get to it, please_!"

He paused, looking at her and chuckling.

"Boy, I can sure get you going, huh?"

She nodded, gently pushing at him and trying to encourage him lower. He obeyed, leaning on his arms as he started to kiss and suck at her labia. She made a pleasured noise, shivering and scratching her fingernails down her thighs. Dirk loved how much she was enjoying this. He swirled his tongue around her clit, making her squeak and moan. He moved one hand, penetrating her with two fingers again.

The combination of oral and fingering drove her to yet another orgasm, and Dirk happily lapped at her vulva as she came. He sat up, resting on his knees as he looked down at her. He was really aroused, throbbing and aching to just take her as she was. He was conscious of how bad of an idea that was, though.

He leaned over her, as she caught her breath. He grabbed the box of condoms, pulling one out. He tore it open with his teeth, sliding it over his throbbing length. Once it was on, he looked down at Jane. He took his cock, gently guiding it to her entrance. As he slowly pushed into her, feeling her tense and clench around his member occasionally, he ran his hands over her body. From her thighs up over her chest. He groped her for a moment, then rubbed his hands down her arms to clutch her hands. She gripped his hands, their fingers twined together.

He was fully inside her now, the occasional moan slipping past his lips. Jane opened her eyes, those clear, sky blue eyes. They were so filled with love, and trust. Dirk met her gaze, returning every bit of the love he saw. He kissed her softly, and then started to pump his hips back and forth, going slow and gentle. Jane moaned, returning the kiss and rolling her hips against his.

The two moved together, like one being, kissing as they made love. Dirk lost control after a short time, shivering and gasping as he reached his orgasm. Jane followed not far behind, her legs wrapping around him to hold him deep inside her. The two shivered and trembled, pleasure coursing through their bodies as they held each other.

Finally, Dirk pulled out. Jane relaxed against the bed. Dirk pulled the condom off, and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. He went to grab a drink of water. When he came back, he leaned against the doorframe, looking at Jane with a gentle smile on his face.

She had pulled the blanket over her, mostly, and curled up. She had grabbed his shirt, and had her face nuzzled against it as she slept. Dirk sighed, quietly grabbing his phone. He pulled the blanket a little higher on her shoulder, keeping her modest, and snapped a picture. He looked down at his phone, then back to Jane, smiling.

"Fuck, she's cute," he mumbled, before climbing into bed with her, tossing the shirt aside and pulling her close, falling asleep with a small smile on his face.


	18. Epilogue

**Author's Note:  
**This is it, guys. The Epilogue. This is all I have left with this for you guys.

Years pass...

Dirk ends up not going to college, but becomes a rather successful DJ. Jane and he move in together, sharing an apartment near Jane's college. She inherits the Crocker Corporation, and becomes rather successful. She becomes the new face of the company, young, vibrant, and happy.

On the day of Jane's college graduation, Dirk got up on stage with her, much to everyone's surprise. He went down on one knee, and proposes. She accepts on the spot, hugging him tightly and bursting into joyous tears. The two settle down, and end up having two kids together, and three grandkids.

They stay together, through thick and thin, loving and happy together.

The End

**A/N:  
**Be on the lookout for future fanfictions, continued chapters of my demon AU fic, Trickster, and a soon-to-come oneshot!


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